Americanah has been cancelled before filming had even begun. The limited series had its cast ready to go when the pandemic shut down all production in Hollywood and around the world. The drama is an adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s best-selling novel of the same name.

Lupita Nyong’o was set to star and executive produce the drama but had to pull out of the project because she now has a scheduling conflict. Danai Gurira was set to serve as showrunner and wrote the script for the pilot. The HBO Max drama received a 10-episode straight-to-series order last year.

Deadline revealed more about the plot of Americanah:

“Americanah tells the epic story of Ifemelu (Nyong’o), a young, beautiful, self-assured woman raised in Nigeria, who as a teenager falls in love with her classmate Obinze. Living in a military-ruled country, they each depart for the west, with Ifemelu heading for America, where, despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple for the first time with what it means to be black. Quiet, thoughtful Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous undocumented life in London.”

Uzo Aduba, Corey Hawkins, Zackary Momoh, and Tireni Oyenusi were also a part of the cast.

What do you think? Were you planning to check out Americanah on HBO Max? Are you surprised it has been cancelled?