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The Broadway musical Fela! received 11 Tony nominations this morning, and a Focus Features movie about the African musician and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti now officially has its leading man. Chiwetel Ejiofor is formally attached to play Fela in the film that will be directed by Steve McQueen, the British artist who made his helming debut on Hunger, the drama about the Irish hunger strike that starred Michael Fassbender.
When I revealed the project last year, Ejiofor seemed the obvious choice, but Focus Features wouldn’t confirm. Ejiofor sure has been taking it seriously on his end. In between his work on the upcoming Angelina Jolie-starrer Salt, he has been learning to play piano and saxophone to prepare for the role. I’m told he’s gotten quite good.
The film is separate from the Broadway musical. Focus has its own feature rights package that include Fela’s music, rights gathered by producers Lydia Pilcher and Leigh Blake. The role sounds like a real opportunity for Ejiofor to shine in a high profile film, after lead work in small films–Redbelt and Kinky Boots–and supporting work in studio films like Children of Men and Love Actually.
Fela, considered Africa’s answer to Bob Marley, is as famous for his Afrobeat musical style–a fusion of jazz, funk and West African drums–as he was for speaking out against government oppression in Nigeria. He was a larger than life figure, had 27 wives, and his outspoken nature proved costly when his house was raided and his 78-year old mother thrown to her death from a second-story window. He deposited the coffin on the steps of the Nigerian leader’s home.
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A Nigerian playing a Nigerian… the way it should be. Kudos to Focus for not casting Don Cheadle or Robert Downey Jr in black face.
Dear Chewbacca v. Chiwetel:
Yeah, okay, I guess. Look, I don’t judge others much, so if perpetuating racial polemics is your deal, knock yourself out, but do make at least a modest effort to get your facts right. Mr. Ejiofor is not, in fact, a “Nigerian.” He is, rather, a BRITON of Nigerian descent (even more accurately, a Briton of Igbo descent, as many Nigerians tend to self-identify as members of a tribal entity rather than citizens of Nigeria).
I don’t have a view one way or another about the necessity of reflexively casting members of a particular racial or ethnic group to portray characters of that group, but I do share the general sentiment of “kudos to Focus.” Like many of us, I really admire Focus’ dedication to continuing to make the kind of films — namely, DRAMAS — that are getting harder and harder to see in theaters, and NBCU’s continuing (if grudging and limited) support of John Lyons and his team makes me think a bit more (and just a bit) of NBCU’s petty, self-important upper management (except for Ronnie, of course).
Here endeth the sermon. (And I’m already feeling a little bad, Chewbacca vs. Chiwetel, so let me castigate myself for you: “Oh, zip it, WorkerAmongWorkers, you pompous self-righteous ASS!” (Good enough?)
I’m sorry, but are you on crack? When did we start “self-identifying” in place of calling ourselves “Nigerian”? Who’s threatening your ethnicity so that you have to go around saying “don’t call me Nigerian, call me Igbo”? That is truly f*cking out of left field. I mean, WHAT?
Chiwetel Ejiofor is not “of Nigerian descent,” he’s Nigerian. I don’t know if he was born in the UK but that still keeps him Nigerian if his parents are Nigerian. What else is he going to be? He can be British by citizenship, of course, but that is not his ethnicity.
The sentence “Mr. Ejiofor is not, in fact, a “Nigerian,”” has got to be THE most stupid thing I have ever read in my life.
If you’re trying to distinguish between “Nigerian” as citizenship and Igbo as ethnicity, to say that the man is not Nigerian but “a Briton of Igbo descent,” then you’ll have to excuse me while I p*ss myself laughing. You’re out there floating on that ocean all by yourself.
The man is Nigerian. And believe it or not, a lot of people would kill to be able to say that. So leave this one alone, thanks.
And now I’m going to try and stop frothing at the mouth.
@ella – I hope you’re going so crazy because you are in fact both Nigerian and of British citizenry. And even so, it doesn’t warrant your over the top rant. Nobody likes a know-it-all like WorkerAmongWorkers but name-calling and mouth-frothing is liked even less, especially when you are both making the same general off topic point. Chiwetel was born in London to Nigerian parents. Got it! Everyone doesn’t identify themselves the same way so unless you know him personally, both your points are moot. The original poster applauded that a Nigerian was being played by one. Stop nit picking and grow up!
I applaud the choice as well. He’s an incredible actor! I already can’t wait to see it.
Dear Ella:
Thank you for your spirited critique of my post.
While I don’t necessarily agree with everything you wrote (in my view, for example, “we KNOW there are WMDs ovah there” was pretty stupid), your frothing post did make me realize that I had missed an important part of Chewbacca v. Chiwetel’s point, that Fela’s centrality to the Nigerian reform movement makes casting someone with a direct tie to that country particularly appropriate, perhaps even crucial.
As someone who has spent some time in Nugeria, I don’t think I over-stated the tribal self-identification issue, and I think that misunderstanding the complexity of these issues causes all kinds of problems (including problems in the international marketplace). Having said that, I can see how my professorial pronouncements implicate the sin, I objected to, that of appropriating the right to identify others.
So, on balance: fair enough. (And I hope you didn’t actually ‘p*ss’ youself — laughter is great, but moist undergarments are unpleasant for all concerned.)
THANK YOU Chewbacca vs Chiwetel! I couldn’t agree with you more!
I still haven’t seen AVATAR because that disgraceful James Cameron opted to cast an African-American in blue face for the role of “Neytiri” instead of an actual Na’vi!!
LOL!And just for the record, Zoe Saldana is not African-American, she’s Latina–Dominican American.
An “actual Na’vi”??????????????
The book that the movie is basing its script off of is quite good. Fela Kuti’s career and life was so over the top, if the movie films only real life events, the audience will still suspect dramatic license.
No matter what the merits of the movie, the soundtrack will be awesome.
I think at the Moment He is the best actor for the role, also owing to the fact that he has the eyes of Fela and with the right touch the looks will blend for the film.
Carry on Brother, we the Nigerians are Solidly Behind You.
What happened? Taylor Lautner is booked?
It will be a refreshing joy to watch something not from Marvel or Hasbro come down the pike.
By the way, if you jaded, Hollywood Folk, have not seen it on Broadway,fire up the G8 and get there. It is worth the trip. great show, it was better than Cats!
i called this like two and half yrs ago. History to be made here
I love him in a nearly inappropriate manner. Good for him.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is a terrific actor, they are fortunate to get him. I wish the team good fortune, I already respect their wise casting.
I love Chiwetel. He is consistently the best actor in whatever film he is in. He’s so good he appeared in a Woody Allen movie and Woody NEVER hires black actors. I just wonder what white person they’re going to get to write the screenplay…
Saw you first in Kinky Boots. Had no idea of your range. (Discovering some not all of your movies throught the years). Please keep doing you. I find you AMAZING!! Ohhh, and if I could only take you home to my family. They would LOVE you. They would just be besides themselves. I don’t know you, yet you seem so real and just you, being you. Sorry, just in achingly pain because I find some brits so very real and beyond endearing.
The first thing I thought when I saw this is “not sexy enough.” I’m sorry, but he’s not. If you’ve seen this thing onstage, the actor exudes magnetism and sex appeal. He’s practically shirtless the whole time, and that’s a huge part of the characterization. You have to believe that this is someone who could be a complete womanizer. Who knows, maybe they won’t go that route and will do a straight up drama.
In a time when Catherine Zeta-Jones is playing Cleopatra, Welsh woman playing an African woman, and Jake Gyllenhaal is starring as the Prince of PERSIA, its refreshing to see an African playing an African. It’s a bit disheartening to see the racial flip-flops, because the number of roles written for people of color are so limited. I am super-excited about Chiwetel Ejiofor as Fela. Kudos to Focus for not going Hollywood on us.
I agree, this is an awesome role for Ejiofor, he’ll do great – I still love to watch him in Dirty Pretty Things. The next question is who will be the music director, and will they leave any money to properly capture Fela’s music? So often producers skimp out on the music budget – hope that doesn’t happen here.
As for the whole identity debate, I think that’s best left up to individuals. I’ve heard Ejiofor refer to himself as British.
As a California native with an American mother and a Nigerian father I’ve had all kinds of heated conversations as to what I ought to call myself. I come from a rich heritage on both sides of the Atlantic, but make no mistake, I’m an American. Ask my dad, he’ll tell you so, too!
And my father prefers to reference his tribal heritage as well, unless doing so is likely to lead to a long conversation full of ignorant questions he’d rather not deal with. When I meet Nigerians and I tell them his tribe (Edo), even they aren’t always familiar with it, as there are so many.
Based on his numerous performances, I’m sure Ejiofor was chosen for his ability and not his heritage. If not, that’s the way it ought to be.
I’ve seen his son Femi Kuti perform at the St. Andrews in Detroit, Chene Park in Detroit and at Detroit Festival of arts.
He would perform one, sometimes more songs in honor of his father.
Will the movie deal with the reality of Nigeria, the HIV, the politics the history, the heart of the struggle as prolific as Dr, King’s and Malcom X’s against a power elite that wants the truth buried.
Will this song be on the playlist.
Coffin for Head of State, Pt. 2
Truth don’t die.
La vérité ne meurt pas.
Good for him. He’s extremely talented. Cant wait to him out in SALT.
I love him as an actor, however, SAHR Ngaujah played the hell out of this role on Broadway. I just wish they would have let him played it in the film. Hollywood…ugh.