Seems like 50 Cent had the perfect title for his new movie. Already dealing with one lawsuit over $200,000 in unpaid services for the film, Fif also recently lost a legal battle against an iconic Nigerian author over the movie’s title.
Via Broadway Ghana, 50 Cent was recently forced to change the title of the film, Things Fall Apart, which took its name from a classic 1958 novel by author Chinua Achebe. Upon learning of the film’s title, Achebe threatened to sue 50 and the film’s producers for copyright violations. Fif and friends tried to settle out of court, offering the Chinua Achebe Foundation $1 million to use the title, but the Chinua Achebe Foundation turned down the offer.
“The novel with the said title was initially produced in 1958 (that is 17 years before rapper 50 Cent was born), [is] listed as the mostly read book in modern African literature, and won’t be sold for even $1 billion,” Achebe’s legal reps said.
As a result of the setback, the film’s backers have convinced 50 to rename the film All Things Fall Apart to head off any more legal battles.
The Mario Van Peebles–directed movie, set for a 2012 release, tells the story of a college football player whose sports career is cut short by cancer. All Things Fall Apart stars Peebles, Ray Liotta and 50 Cent in the lead role.
(Photos, from left: Terrence Jennings/Picturegroup, Ralph Orlowski / Reuters)
