Film Adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s ‘The Man Died’ Set for July Release in Nigeria and UK
To mark Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday, the highly anticipated film adaptation of his renowned book, ‘The Man Died’, is scheduled for release in July.
Nollywood stalwart Wale Ojo will portray the iconic Nigerian writer, Wole Soyinka, in this adaptation, which delves into Soyinka’s reflections during his imprisonment by the government amidst the Nigerian Civil War in the late 1960s.
Director Awam Amkpa shared the release date of the film, slated for July 2024, in an Instagram announcement on Thursday, May 2.
Soyinka penned the autobiographical work in 1972, just two years following the war’s conclusion. His literary achievements, including being the first Sub-Saharan African to clinch the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, underscore his monumental legacy.
Last July, on Soyinka’s 89th birthday, Wale Ojo paid tribute to the playwright, lauding him as an unparalleled icon. The actor’s Instagram post hailed Soyinka’s indelible mark on the literary world.
Joining Ojo in the cast are esteemed Nollywood actors Chidi Mokeme, Sam Dede, Norbert Young, Francis Onwochei, Edmond Enabe, Segilola Ogidan, Simileoluwa Hassan, Christiana Oshunniyi, and newcomer Abraham Amkpa.
Soyinka’s literary repertoire, spanning masterpieces like ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’, adapted into the 2022 Netflix film ‘Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman’, further cements his legacy in both literature and film. His notable works include ‘The Lion and the Jewel’ (1959), ‘The Trials of Brother Jero’ (1960), ‘Aké: The Years of Childhood’ (1981), and ‘You Must Set Forth at Dawn’ (2006).
