British-Nigerian actor and producer David Oyelowo is set to produce a limited series about Biafra in development with the BBC in collaboration with Argo Films and Fremantle.
He described the project as “one of his most treasured projects,” adding that it will be “satisfying his desire to see African stories told at the highest level.”
Set in the U.K. and Nigeria and told through the eyes of a young Black British woman, Biafra’s story unfolds across two main time lines—the present day and the 1967-70 Biafra War, a largely forgotten dark secret in the countries’ shared history.
Bola Agbaje (Gone Too Far) is writing the script, and Ngozi Onwurah (Shoot the Messenger, Mama Africa) is attached to direct.
Although the project is still in the pipeline, the “Queen of Katwe” star in conversation with Deadline said: “My parents married across the tabooed tribal lines of the Biafran conflict, and it shaped my life, much as it has done to millions of Nigerians. To be able to bring the amazing talents of director Ngozi Onwurah, who I first worked with on Shoot the Messenger, and writer, Bola Agbaje, who I’ve been seeking to work with for quite some time, makes this the definition of a passion project for me.”
