Nigerian Writer, Nnedi Okorafor Teams Up With Viola Davis On An Exciting New Project

Oscar-winning actress, Viola Davis is teaming up with Nigerian sci-fi author Nnedi Okorafor and Kenyan director Wanuri Kahiu for an upcoming series adaptation of Octavia Butler’s 1980 novel Wild Seed, which is being developed by Amazon under Davis’ and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Production company.

Nnedi Okorafor and Wanuri Kahiu, will write the series together, and Kahiu is also slated to direct. Nnedi is a celebrated sci-fi writer and Wanuri most recently directed and wrote the acclaimed LGBTQ feature Rafiki, which made history last year as the first Kenyan film to screen at the Cannes Film Festival.

Nnedi and Wanuri  took to Twitter to share the amazing news.

Dream project alert. ?? SEE GOD! //t.co/zgtXt18rPh

— Wanuri (@wanuri) March 27, 2019

?I can finally publicly talk about it. We’re developing WILD SEED! ?!! //t.co/gZT5XS1icc

— Nnedi Okorafor, PhD (@Nnedi) March 26, 2019

JuVee had pursued the rights to the book for over two years, but it wasn’t until they identified rising talent Kahiu, who was tapped to direct as well as write the pilot with her friend and colleague Okorafor, that the vision became clear on how to turn the beloved book into a TV show.

With their idea for a TV series, and the Butler estate’s blessings, the project was taken to the marketplace with multiple bids.

According to Deadline, Wild Seed will focus on the love (and hate) story of two African immortals:

“Wild Seed is a love (and hate) story of two African immortals who travel the ages from pre-Colonial West Africa to the far, far future.

Doro, a killer who uses his power to breed people like livestock, encounters Anyanwu, a healer who forces him to reassess his millennia of cruel behavior.

For centuries, their personal battles change the course of our world as they struggle against the backdrop of time — master vs slave, man vs woman, killer vs healer.”

Next, Kahiu will direct The Thing About Jellyfish with Universal. While, Okorafor’s novel Who Fears Death is being developed into an HBO series with Game of Thrones creator George RR Martin.

We will keep you updated as new details about Wild Seed emerge.