There Are Plans To Adapt Matt Okine’s Semi-Autobiographical First Novel Into A Movie
And Okine's signed on as executive producer...
Comedian Matt Okine’s first novel, Being Black ‘n Chicken, & Chips, is set to be adapted into a feature film, as the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Released in September this year, the semi-autobiographical novel follows Mike, a normal teenager in Brissie dealing with first crushes, the pressure and perils of high school – and his mother’s sudden diagnosis with advanced breast and brain cancer.
Being Black ‘n Chicken, & Chips is based on the loss of his mother when he was 12, and his 2012 stand-up show, Being Black N Chicken N Shit, for which he won Best Newcomer at MICF.
The rights to the novel have been picked up by Aquarius Films, the Sydney-based co-producers of 2016’s Lion, starring Dev Patel. They’ll be working with Wooden Horse, the pair having also worked together on Okine’s Stan series The Other Guy.
Talking to the SMH, Okine said: “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. From the second I started writing the book, I was writing the movie. I always had that in mind every step of the way.”
Matt Okine will be on the project as an executive producer. He told the newspaper that he’s looking forward to finding a half-Ghanian teenager to play the role of Mike. “When I was 12 years old I didn’t see anyone like me being the lead character in an Australian feature film.
“The sad thing is I wouldn’t have made this film if my mum was still alive – not just because the tragedy of her death wouldn’t have happened, but I would have been a different person. I would have been a safe person. In a cruel irony I’m proud of the person I’ve become because of what’s happened.”
The announcement has been met with praise by Okine’s friends and peers, including former triple j co-workers Tom Tilley, Al Newstead and Sally Coleman, and people like Illy, Adam Liaw, Felicity Ward and Lincoln Lewis.
The second season of Matt Okine’s The Other Guy, which is very loosely inspired by his own relationship breakdown, and experience of infidelity, is set to premiere on Stan next month. It tracks down-and-out radio host, AJ, played by Okine, as he’s offered the opportunity to adapt his tumultuous personal life into a TV series… Sounds familiar…
Being Black ‘n Chicken, & Chips is out now through Hachette.