omar22:

Exactly, if Barack Obama had the same thinking of people here! he wouldnt have made it past Hilary Clinton let alone McCain

ThiefOfHearts:

Simple as that.

anyway I ask you all to check out VillageBoi's short film. 

lola lola:

Anyway, I will be waiting for the next film written by a black person male or female that has the courage to cast his own people in the film, but sadly this is not it, I will have to pass on this film. It's just the way I feel.

baby-boy:

We see it everyday on HiTV or Nollywood channel,  it doesnt look pretty!!

Criss: It's more than just a skin tone/features issue. i couldn't sit through 'tears of the sun" because every time a supposedly igbo person spoke i cringed. The filmakers could not be bothered to authenticate the language much less the accent.
This will be a challenge for Thandi and i do not consider her to be among the really good 'black' actresses. And she will not get the accent right (i'm Igbo so i'll know).

As an Igbo person what i feel about this is akin to what people from the southern states of US felt when they were casting Scalet O'Hara for the classic American tale Gone with the wind. In the end the right choice was made with Vivien Leigh (even though she's Brittish).

I guess my stand is 'Dear God not Her!!!!!' if it is big names that the director is shooting for, go with Zoe Saldana, heck if it's talent go with the same person or any other black actress (perhaps Emily Njoki from the movie "first grader". Newton hasn't delivered a memorable role yet, i forget her as soon as the credits go up, so i'm trying to figure out why it's her.

Of course if the Director has more confidence in his abilities he should come down to Nigeria and cast for this role (at least then they'll be some authenticity to the accent). A better option would have been to go for a strong well known director (non-Nigerian) and use a fresh cast of Nigerians, preferably non Nollywood affiliated, that's what open cast calls are for.

PS: Chiwetel is the big name in the cast anyway not Thandi.

all4naija: Another biased and myopic individual. Your comparison is obviously discriminatory if you can't see Thandi Newton as a good actor(actress to be precise).

all4naija:
Home grown person taking a leading role in the epic African rather Nigerian story is not guaranteed. You are deceived to think there are quite good number of individuals back home who can pull of leading role in this coming movie. Sorry to say they will mess up this movie if given the chance.

all4naija:
Please, steer clear from speculating about the abilities which aren't well developed or aren't there altogether.

OPEN CASTING CALLS! Go read up on it. No one knew Freida Pinto (could act) until she auditioned and got the lead role in Slumdog Millionaire. Since then she's gone on to star in major productions like Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Immortals and Black Gold.

A diamond will remain buried and wouldn't shine until someone unearths it. Go figure. . . . .

omar22:


Well we HAVE ALL SEEN THE ACTING QUALITIES OF THE NOLLYWOOD wanabes, am sorry I wont touch them with a barge pole unless they all go back to acting school.

Frieda went to an acting school, had cameo amateur roles beofre she got Slum Dog, she didnt play a lead role, she played a supporting role which didnt require much, but is getting professional training or help.

semid4lyfe:
Not advocating for the casting of a ''Nollywood'' actress as the female lead in the movie (cos personally, I think most of them can't act with the exception of Ogo Okoye, Nse Ikpe Etim and very few others) but then again, the director could have gone the Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire route, done thorough auditioning to get a Nigerian of **preferably** Igbo-Extraction based in the US/UK who has been to film school, performed in theatre (not compulsorily) and therefore knows the rudiment of acting. I'm sure there are many of them like that

semid4lyfe:

Did you miss this part of my post?

vescucci: ^^^ I thought you were gone from here. Come back oh. There is no one to talk movies with

ThiefOfHearts:

where's Sisi and that one that worships Satan..ogugua or whatever

ThiefOfHearts: Excellent posts semid4lyfe

anyway this situation no longer concerns me as this book is based on Igbo history. If the Igbos are fine with this rubbish, that is their business.

I read the book after all the film adaptation hullabaloo and personally, I think the book is over-rated.

I'm not eagerly looking forward to the movie, it's just another movie I'll download and watch when the DvDrip or BRRip is available online

all4naija: I can bet you didn't hug transformer that is the reason why you are still alive - pointing to your signature .

It might seemed irrelevant to this topic but being sincere with one's argument has a long way to go in this hunt for acting skills in Nigeria for leading roles which aren't there in the first case.

I would buy you a drink any day if you can present me with a single person in Nigeria who can come up with or perform a leading role in a standard American or international movie. Please, let the truth be told. We need to go back to the drawing board and start building schools which care for movies, theater dramas,etc.Not until then we are not going to produce any international leading role actors in the future.

When is the premier of the movie though?

Lol @ the hug transformer part. Again, I'm not holding brief for the Nollywood actors/actresses. I'm sure the director could have gotten a US/UK based Nigerian of **preferably** Igbo descent who had studied acting in the US/UK for the lead female role if he had wanted to.

Refer to that thread of Hollywood Actors/Actresses of Nigerian descent.

I heard the movie is due for release 2013.

Oya, make una die the matter

ThiefOfHearts: Like I said Nigerians are reetarded

He's directing ba film based on Nigerian history and what came to his mind is to cast a non-Nigerian?