Akbar Hussain crime novel set for TV
Best-selling Kenyan crime novel Truth is a Flightless Bird from author Akbar Hussain is being developed as a TV series by Chudor House Productions and Artist International Group.
The 2022 novel, about a privileged New York socialite who joins an NGO in Somalia and gets embroiled in a drug smuggling ring in Nairobi, will be adapted by Adam Targum (Banshee, NCIS: New Orleans) and Chudor House director and exec producer NneNne Iwuji (African Queens: Njinga, Queen Cleopatra) into an eight-part returning series.
Targum is showrunner, with Odiri Iwuji at UK-based Chudor House and Aleksey Ageyev at LA-based Artist International Group producing. The show will be set in Kenya, the US and Somalia.
Odiri Iwuji, also a director at TV trade publication C21Media and Content Nigeria, said: “When we optioned Akbar Hussain’s novel, we knew that we needed a very experienced and passionate creator to help bring it to life for the screen. Adam embodies both. We are thrilled to have both Adam and NneNne deliver Akbar’s uniquely captivating story to an international audience very soon.”
Ageyev added: “The landscape of television is evolving, with emerging territories and markets beginning to have a significant influence in the realm of scripted TV. With the potential for growth residing in these burgeoning markets, together with Chudor House, we look forward to creating a series that resonates not only with local audiences to further expand the local market, but also captivate global audiences.”