The actress will team up with Pitt's Plan B production company on the drama after the actor acquired big-screen rights to the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie-penned novel, said the Hollywood Reporter.
Nyong'o will also produce and star the movie, which is an epic love story of young Nigerians, spanning continents while exploring the cruelties and the humour of both the modern immigrant experience and the difficulty of finding your way home.
"It is such an honor to have the opportunity to bring Ms Adichie's brilliant book to the screen," Nyong'o said.
"Page after page, I was struck by Ifemelu and Obinze's stories, whose experiences as African immigrants are so specific and also so imminently relatable. It is a thrilling challenge to tell a truly international story so full of love, humor and heart," said the actress.
Nyong'o made her feature debut with the best picture Oscar-winner film by Steve McQueen where she portrayed the role of slave Patsey. '12 Years A Slave' was based on the memoirs of Solomon Northup.
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