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Thursday 15 September 2011

Chinua Achebe forces 50 Cent to rename movie

The foundation managing the works of literary icon, Chinua Achebe, have forced 50 Cent to drop the title of his soon-to-be-released multi-million dollar movie, Things Fall Apart.

The foundation threatened to go court over intellectual infringement, 50 Cent allegedly offered to pay  $1million dollars to keep the name, the foundation refused and 50 Cent and his producers had no choice but to change the film's title. It's now - All Things Fall Apart.

Nice work! Continue to see the first time Things Fall Apart was used in a literary work..



The Second Coming
   By William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)
    Turning and turning in the widening gyre
    The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
    Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
    Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
    The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
    The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
    The best lack all conviction, while the worst
    Are full of passionate intensity.
    Surely some revelation is at hand;
    Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
    The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
    When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
    Troubles my sight: a waste of desert sand;
    A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
    A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
    Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
    Wind shadows of the indignant desert birds.
    The darkness drops again but now I know
    That twenty centuries of stony sleep
    Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
    And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
    Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

41 comments:

Eme Achanga said...

I really don't see the difference in both titles.Chinua Achebe didn't want to be associated with gangsterism..lol

The Igbo Academy said...

But Chinua Achebe took "Things Fall Apart" from William Butler Yeats' poem "The Second Coming".

It's not as if Chinua Achebe personally came up with the name "Things Fall Apart".

Imagine if William Butler Yeats rose up from his grave and ordered Chinua Achebe to change the title of his novel from "Things Fall Apart" to something else because it was stolen from his poem.

deeflamez said...

Yeah, read this yesterday. Was really impressed at the way the issue was handled by Chinua and his Lawyers. By the way, what was 50cent thinking >>>> that he could pay his way through the title? Considering the fact that Chinua Achebe's novel was also screen played as a movie.

Besides what did he think the old man will need $1million dollars for, at his age? or does he think he is like all those Old-grumpy-hungry-greedy-Politicians always hungry for MORE? Am glad he was defeated at it. What an arrogant thug he is.

Maybe if he had completed School or hadn't skipped classes he would have come across one of Chinua's Literature even in the United States. (and yes i said it,cos it was also a good Literature overseas)

Kay said...

Linda look well well o! This looks to my like Father and son! cant u spot the resemblance*wink*

samlolo said...

let him change it now,abi na by force to collect bribe..I wish 50 cent knows how much that name means to chinua Achebe for him not to collect 1 million dollars.

Linda if you have 50's number please call him or Achebe ma ba pko wahala ti ko ni bo nbe...

Temi said...

The poem is not the first time "Things fall apart" was used in a literary work. The poem is what inspired the title of Chinua Achebe's book "Things fall apart" WB Yeats is yonks older than Achebe. Just thought you should know.

CAESAR said...

Na wa oooooh,1 million dollars this man refuse to collect.This is unbelievable

Anonymous said...

Bullshit, instead of you to collect the $1m. What else is the essence of royalty if not financial homage.

@huntellagadgets said...

the first igbo man to refuse that kinda reward hmmmmmm a good name is better than gold and sliver indeed

Anonymous said...

CHINUA ACHEBE IS A GREAT MAN, THAT DO NOT WANT TO SALE HIS SWEAT FOR A TOKEN $1MILLION. BETTER KEEP HIS NAME THAN MONEY. THAT SHOW THAT MONEY CANNOT BUY EVERYTHING.

Kray-Z said...

Whatever "intellectual rights" Chinua Achebe may think he has over the word, "Things Fall Appart", would partain only within Nigeria and to Nigeria. I don't think 50 Cent ever offered $1m to Chinua Achebe and he turned it down. How rich is Chinua Achebe? The mention of the so called $1m offer from 50 Cent is a cheap publicity on the part of Chinua Achebe and his camp. If I was 50 Cent, I would never ever back down for Chinua Achebe cos "Things Fall Apart" ain't his. Smh.

1976AD.com said...

SMH @ this discussion... How does yates who wrote a poem with the line be considered the owner of the term? Do you even know what period copyright law runs for?

Anonymous said...

In any case, a million dollars does not really buy much these days

Anonymous said...

Ezi aha ka ego....

Anonymous said...

Ezi aha ka ego.....

maureen said...

chinua!!!!!chinua!!!!!chinua!!!!! how many times did i call u? menh u mess up big time .. dat chess was gud old man .u wen go soon mould #lipsealed...Hissin in arabic الهسهسة الهسهسة!!!!

Faithful Flavours said...

excuse me, i think what Chinua Achebe deserves Kudos,how would it look like to future generations if our role model sullied the name of his master piece for money? why does 50 cent even want to use that name? in fact he does'nt have respect for art. if he did,he would not want to use that name to increase the popularity of his movie(probably).He cant gain from someone else's sweat and artistry,one million dollars doesnt make it okay.

Boko haram to bomb Uniben said...

Oh! How i love Things fall about novel! I read it and became red.
F**k 50cents and his $$$.

Lautech University blog said...

Does money buy everything? Never! Thanks for Chinua Achebe standing up to his thing.

Anonymous said...

JIAAAAAAHHH.INSTEAD OF COLLECTIN D COOL 1M DOLLARSSSS!!!

Chinua Achebe said...

Thanks guys for dropping your comments, you can read more about me on my title. Im Chinua Achebe. Lol

Anonymous said...

Some ppl are just dumb as fuck... Chinua used "things fall apart" as a title n the person before him used it as a phrase in his literary work... So why the fuck are u saying Chinua stole his idea? Things fall apart is a phrase anybody can make use of... It wasn't Patented as a book before Chinua so fuck is he taking from William? 50's people know Things fall apart was a patented literary work so why would they use it when there's gon be conflict

Anonymous said...

the igbo academy, Things Fall Apart became a brand becos of Achebe. That's what matters...The Yoruba Academy

Kray-Z said...

@Faith, your argument nah kindergarten level: it's as watery as eba made by oyinbo and as weak as Nigerian Indian hemp. You should try Jamaican Indian hemp cos it's the strongest. Did you make the comment or it was dictated to you by a 3 year old? Smh....

@Anon September 15, 2011 9:30 PM.
"In any case, a million dollars does not really buy much these days." See your mouth. So, that old man, Chinua Achebe, was right to turn down $1m? With your yeye comment, do you have even one million Naira in your bank account right now that you dismissed $1m with your fat lefthand as if one million dollars is nothing? Don't make me throw my very expensive imported mobile telecommunications equipment telephone at that your olodo head. Smh.

Anonymous said...

SO all the people that comment on this blog are pretenders ekwa? so u guys want him to collect the money ehn? no wonder nigeria is the way it is y'all are blinded by the god of money! hmmn after you would be talking about corrupt naija policemen, politicians et.al but do you guys know that you are all a mirror reflection of your so called corrupt politicians! yeye nigerians wake up oo and dont let money control your senses ndi ara people! ozwo

MY NAIJA LIFESTYLE said...

i'm really happy bout dis!!!

doll (retired blogger) said...

he could have negotiated something good for himself. it is payment for copyright

Anonymous said...

Soon to be released ke? I downloaded that ish last week!!

the white enchantress said...

thank you 2ANON 12:54AM........ and when they rate us as one of the most corrupt countries we scream murder! when de use dat as a leverage at embassies and airports to manhandle us, we scream murder! it shows dat a lot of dem here will gladly sell their father and even Achebe for dat amount if not less and live a flamboyant life.

in case you dont know to the low IQ ones here, Achebe didn't turn it down for sake of small money BUT,unlike you, he has come a long way and he knows what is associated to some of this int'l artiste, FYI, CHURCH OF SATAN.....so in 10yrs no one will link him to being a member of dat group and concluding that is how he got the inspiration to write books.

he also knows that before long, 50cent will go beyond using it as a song title to something else bc according to 50...he has every right bc he paid for it.do you pips try to sit n watch foreign movies or read foreign novels? do u try to really understand d story behind d story?

in abroad, having and owning RIGHTS to anything makes u d lord n master unless u sell it out which means its no longer urs alone. if Achebe sells it, he and 50 owns d RIGHTS. now think deeply about dat. means Achebe cant sue 50 for misusing it. we dont no most of dis bc it doesn't work here.

do you know u can sell RIGHTS of a book, poem, picture, space anything and make millions from it bc its urs? most of the rich abroad make their money to selling bits of their ownership ova air space, beach space,book space,name it.

so in my own view i dont think chinua did wrong turning it down BUT, i think one of his future descendants will sell dat RIGHT the moment such an opportunity comes up again.

Jay O said...

Folks do you realize that right now Achebe's worth is more than a million?? Its meaningless to him.

Jay O said...

Folks Things Fall Apart is in a lot of American schools. I read it in 9th grade English class, it was part of my school's curriculum.

Last yr alone, Achebe won the Gish Prize worth $300k.
Not counting money he made from book sales, talks, and what Brown university pays him as salary , He definitely made over a $1mil last yr.
When seminars are made and he is the key speakers, people pay money just to hear him talk. If Achebe wanted to make money, He can charge people $500-1000 a head to offer writing advice and input, and get a hall of 1000 and sell out and make $500k-$1mil in 1 night!

Thankfully his children are all established and educated and paid, so they arent struggling over daddy's wealth to force him to accept $1mil. Sorry you cant buy the man!
Sad to see many people who are willing to sell their name for a price.
A good name is earned over a life time.

Anonymous said...

ask chinua achebe how he came about the story he wrote titling it "things fall apart"? nwoke afu je go du nolu ana. let him not kuku ma expose himself. him too like money... old man.

please chinua achebe's fans before you attack me - please ask him who the true "okonkwo and ikechukwu" are... thank you

Bloglord said...

money is not everything

Ade_Cool said...

This man has always left it Classy..wish he were younger to impart more wisdom on a lost generation..especially some jokers on here..
Just hope his kids don't sell his legacy down the river..he needs to put that in his will!!...Mr Achebe doesn't need your money...he must be loaded anyway!!..more like silly cents..next thing he would put out some whack rap soundtrack on it as well..totally debasing the whole concept

Xtract Concept said...

the bros for collect the money ooooooo.....co no difference in dat name

Anonymous said...

@jen, you said, "n case you dont know to the low IQ ones here".

Who the hell are you? You are full of baloney. All you said did not make sense at all.

I doubt if you really know what copyright law is all about. A moron thinks we have low IQ.

Thelma said...

The movie has been released, just saw it and the name is still "Things fall apart" so all that story is probably a lie

Anonymous said...

Good work sir,the world is proud of u

Jerrywhyte said...

hahahhahah, I just cant stop laughing 1M USD is quite some money. If its just the name Things Fall Apart, Mr. chinua should not have been that harsh.

Patricia Maur said...

W.Butler only mentioned "things fall apart in his song,it wasn't the title of the poem,while Chinua got the inspiration to title his book "things fall apart from will's poem,this two are different.The book,things fall apart is Chinua's registered work while "the second coming is Will's,so "some pple should stop sounding like Chinua stole the title.He didn't
Meanwhile 50 no dey fear o,$1m for a classic work,i'm so proud of Chinua.

collins said...

Hello all. All is not about money. Bride matters Aches is an icon role model to many.face of Africa.anonymous said it all.peace en one love all.

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