Lupita Nyong'o to Produce and Star in Romance 'Americanah'

The wild ride that has been Lupita Nyong'o's career isn't ending any time soon, not with the 12 Years A Slave Oscar-winner landing a role in Star Wars: Episode VII. It came at a time when some were questioning whether she was a "one hit wonder", but the reality is Nyong'o is more than just a talented actress. She also has plenty of experience behind the camera, directing the 2009 documentary, In My Genes. Being Hollywood's "It girl" can be fleeting, and so it's a smart move that Nyong'o is developing her own projects.

Nyong'o and Brad Pitt's Plan B label have picked up the rights to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's acclaimed novel Americanah, with plans for her to produce and star. The story follows the "epic love story of young Nigerians, Ifemelu and Obinze; a romance that spans continents, visas, phone cards, and breakups, while exploring the cruelties and the humor of both the modern immigrant experience and the difficulty of finding your way home." The book was named one of the 10 best book of 2013 and won the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. Adiche also wrote Half of a Yellow Sun, which was recently adapted into a film starring Nyong'o's 12 Years A Slave co-star, Chiwetel Ejiofor.

With Nyong'o busy in a galaxy far far away it may be awhile before this gets moving.