We’d like to start off by saying that Gringo is an amazing movie, and the best part of it was the Nigerian influences. It was David Oyelowo‘s idea to make his character a Nigerian, as he was originally written as a white man.
After reading and falling in love with the script, Oyelowo was able to convince the director to make the character a Nigerian immigrant, and it turned out to be a really great idea. Speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert about initiating the change, Oyelowo explained:
“[Harold] is a guy who’s very trusting, maybe a bit hapless and I didn’t want to just play him as a nerdy guy. I saw my parents going through the obstacles of being immigrants in the UK.
There’s something wide-eyed and hopeful about that disposition, and I wanted that to be in that character. So, I made the suggestion and it just completely opened up the film.”
Gringo follows Harold Soyinka (played by Oyelowo), a mild-mannered businessman facing crushing debt. His company sends him to Mexico on business and along the way, he gets tangled up with volatile business partners, Mexican drug lords, mercenaries, and the DEA.
At the premiere of Gringo, in an interview with Access, David Oyelowo finally revealed to his father that he was the inspiration behind Harold Soyinka, and his reaction was priceless. To be honest, from the Yoruba exclamations to the strong belief in God, Harold Soyinka is the typical Nigerian daddy.
Check out David Oyelowo’s dad’s adorable reaction below:
Credit: NaijaLife Magazine.
Watch the official trailer for the movie Gringo below.
Osunde did not take her comment lightly. She retorted, saying, “We’re tired of seeing your face too in your office. Damn! I hope they sack you.”
Enioluwa then took to X to address the notion of Nollywood using familiar faces in films. He stressed that it happens because of finances.
He wrote,
“People often say they’re tired of seeing the same faces in Nigerian films. However, unlike in Hollywood, actors in Nigeria can’t afford to do just one film a year—how much are they paying? The industry currently can’t support as many newcomers as people might expect because, realistically, many of them wouldn’t be able to meet even their basic needs. No one wants to be famous and financially unstable.”
In response, another X user asked him for practical solutions, urging him to suggest actionable steps rather than just highlighting the problems. “You made a crucial point there but you didn’t suggest any solution,” he commented.
Enioluwa then explained,
We don’t have the buying power yet; it’s growing because streaming platforms have come in and people have made more records in the box office. Nevertheless, you can’t equate it to Hollywood, an Avengers that made over $2 billion that can pay its actors millions of dollars and still have enough profit.
People often say they’re tired of seeing the same faces in Nigerian films.
However, unlike in Hollywood, actors in Nigeria can’t afford to do just one film a year— how much are they paying.
The industry currently can’t support as many newcomers as people might expect because,…
Nollywood filmmaker John Njamah recently voiced his concern about the prevailing casting practices in the industry. He argued that casting decisions should prioritize an actor’s talent over their physical appearance or social media popularity.
In an exclusive interview, Njamah, a Nollywood veteran, gave insightful commentary on the current state and future trajectory of Nigerian cinema.
Known for his role as Rabiu in the popular TV soap opera “Fuji House of Commotion,” Njamah has also graced the screens of numerous television shows.
Interestingly, the shows he has featured in include “Tinsel,” “Living In Lagos,” “Solitaire,” “Casino,” “Emerald,” “Tide,” and “My Flatmates.”
During the interview, Njamah talked about his filmmaking journey. He emphasized his unwavering passion for the industry and his aspirations for its continued development.
“What is fuelling me is beyond passion. There’s that knack and need to grow with every month, whatever year. There’s that need to.do something different. This industry of ours is for you to do whatever you want to do and not join the bandwagon. So for me, it’s the originality in me and the need to do something right that is fuelling me Basically, it’s the ever-creative venture in me,” he said.
Njamah discussed how African stories are evolving. Furthermore, he emphasized that positive and negative changes have happened over the years.
“There’s a positive aspect and there’s a negative aspect. There’s a technical input. We’re telling our stories better technically. We’re telling better and bigger stories. The negative is that we are beginning to lose our originality. We are beginning to join the bandwagon to tell what is peculiar to other people and not to us. We are beginning to lose a bit of our identity cos there’s no longer us,” he said.
What’s more, Njamah spoke about casting in the industry. He pointed out differences between the industry during his time and the current climate, especially with casting.
“Fuji House was a one-camera shoot with hungry and passionate people. Now we have people who cast people who are beautiful and with Barbie bodies and followership and not necessarily for your talents. Some of us try to be that original because that’s where better stories are told. You want to tell stories with passionate people. Whether you like it or not, it’s a long shot but it’s possible. You want to give the actors that are worthy of the job and not the ones that are based on Instagram followers. We borrow from society and give back to society by way of entertainment and pedagogical values.”
Further, he criticized the lack of professional work ethic among filmmakers in Nollywood. He highlighted the absence of a robust system to evaluate the performance and accountability of producers within the industry.
“Professionalism is lacking. Respect for those in charge, humility and the like is lacking today. The industry lacks checks and balances. Every Tom, Dck and Harry can wake up and call themselves a producer and just get on board and be doing stuff without being checked and of course, the guild system is not working so they can’t check. There are no criteria for who should become a producer. The system is also not working. Let’s just be mindful as producers, directors and actors,” he added.
In conclusion, John Njamah acknowledged the unique character of Nollywood. Meanwhile, he proposed the creation of a domestic platform to market and distribute Nigerian films. Consequently, this would reduce reliance on foreign streaming services.
“That thing that they don’t like about us is what makes us, us. I am tired of people saying they don’t want to come into the country for coproduction cos we’re that and that and why are we relying on the likes of the streamers? Why can’t we do something that is for us by us so that they will come to us and ask for these things? We are solely depending on them to licence our movies, for survival. Speaking of coproduction, if you tell me you don’t want to come into the country for any reason, I’ll tell you you’re wrong, cos there are amazing producers here that you’ve seen their work. All you need to do is come to them and agree on modalities.”
Nollywood actress Mercy Aigbe-Adeoti revealed one of the reasons she chose to marry Kazim Adeoti as his second wife.
During her appearance on “Nollywood on Radio”, Mercy Aigbe explained that her husband’s deep experience and dedication to Nollywood significantly influenced her decision.
Emphasizing that their marriage goes beyond a personal connection, she mentioned it also aligns with their shared professional ambitions.
She said of their shared ambitions, “That’s one of the reasons why I married him.”
She added, “Together we’re building an empire; we’re building a production empire and I felt like I needed someone like that. It’s a good thing that he’s in the industry so with his strength and my strength combined, the future of the empire is looking good already.”
Social media users slammed the actress after her revelation. Many criticized her decision. They pointedly reminded her about Kazim Adeoti’s first wife, who, according to reports, did not give her consent to their marriage.
A comment read, “Elesin! Empire wey he don already build with his first wife.”
“Mercy, you know that you betrayed this woman. If you and the first wife didn’t know each other, it is a different thing since she is a Muslim, but you are someone who can not be trusted,” another person said.
Mercy’s marriage to Kazim Adeoti sparked controversy from the very beginning. Reports claimed that she allegedly came between the filmmaker and his first wife, Funso.
However, Kazim clarified that he and Mercy had been friends and business partners for over ten years. This was before they began dating.
On the other hand, Mercy’s ex-husband, Lanre Gentry, accused her of being friends with Funso throughout that period. Eventually, she married Adeoti in 2022.
In April 2023, the actress surprised her fans on social media. She announced her conversion to Islam just before the start of Ramadan, introducing herself as Hajia Meenah Mercy Adeoti.
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