Lupita Nyong’o to star in and co-produce film adaptation of Born a Crime

Academy award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o is all set to star in and co-produce a film adaptation of South African comedian and host of The Daily Show Trevor Noah’s 2016 best-selling memoir, Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.

Noah’s book details his upbringing in apartheid South Africa, as a child of mixed race to a black Xhosa mother and Swiss white father.

Nyong’o took to Twitter where she announced the exciting news, saying that when she read Noah’s book, she couldn’t put it down.

In response, Noah tweeted that he was “in heaven”.

Nyong’o will be taking on the role of Noah’s mum, Patricia, who survived being shot by Noah’s stepfather in 2009 after returning from a church service.

According to Deadline.com, Noah is producing the project through his Ark Angel Productions alongside Norman Aladjem, Derek van Pelt and Sanaz Yamin of Mainstay Entertainment, and Nyong’o.

Nyong’o was in the country last week to promote one of the country’s bestselling movies, Marvel’s Black Panther.

She told City Press in an interview that there is a mission to give black women “powerful, juicy roles”.

Read: City Press catches up with Black Panther's African stars in Jozi 

“There is a hunger for this kind of representation, this kind of cultural communion that is taking place with this film,” Nyongo said. “Cinema is an opportunity to really affect popular culture and to shape agendas.”