Chiwetel Ejiofor is set to star in and make his directorial debut in an adaptation of William Kamkwamba's autobiography, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, about the author's story of constructing a wind turbine from bits of scrap metal, old bicycle parts, and wood all at the age of 13.
Ejiofor, is set to the play father to Kamkwamba, played by newcomer Maxwell Simba, a boy who because of financial problems is no longer able to attend the school that he loves, thus leading him to sneak back into the school's library, and it is here that he figures out a way to save his village from famine.
Other stars include, Lily Banda, as William's older sister; Noma Dumezweni as the librarian, Edith Sikelo, who helps to bring public attention to William's story; Aissa Maiga as Wiliiam's mother Agnes; Joseph Marcell as Chief Wambe; and Lemogang Tsipa as Mike Kachigunda, William's teacher.
According to this THR Exclusive, Ejiofor hopes that this story will allow the world to understand and see the value in providing opportunities to those that they may not necessarily be readily available to, stating that he "want[s] this to be a film that allows people to see that Malawi, and the world, will be all the better for everything William and those like him are able to contribute when they have the opportunities they urgently need to carve out their own extraordinary destinies."
You can expect for themes like environmental sustainability, the power of education, and the importance of parental support to play an important role in the telling of this story.
As of October 19th, 2017, production for the movie, still untitled, has begun in Malawi. It will be executive produced by Jeff Skoll, Johnathan King, Joe Oppenheimer, Natascha Wharton, and authors Kamkwamba and Mealer. Potboiler Productions' Andrea Calderwood and Gail Egan are producing the film. The production is led by cinematographer Dick Pope, production designer Tulé Peak, costume designer Bia Salgado, and editor Valerio Bonelli.
