Film  

Netflix Partners With Kunle Afolayan To Produce An Adaptation Of Seffi Atta’s Swallow

By Modupeoluwa Adekanye

10 March 2021   |   11:34 am

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“There’s never been a greater time for us, where you have so many Nigerian stories being shown to the whole world!” - Kunle Afolayan, Nigeria’s leading director and producer. It’s been five years since Netflix launched in Nigeria. Since then, they have been able to add a wide variety of Nollywood films and series and…

Netflix Partners With Kunle Afolayan To Produce An Adaptation Of Seffi Atta’s Swallow

“There’s never been a greater time for us, where you have so many Nigerian stories being shown to the whole world!” – Kunle Afolayan, Nigeria’s leading director and producer.

It’s been five years since Netflix launched in Nigeria. Since then, they have been able to add a wide variety of Nollywood films and series and build strong relationships with local creators like Kunle Afolayan.

Since then, classics like The CEO, October 1, The Figurine, and, most recently, Citation, have been available on Netflix. Films that shine a light on Nigerian culture, history, fashion, music, food, and languages.

In a new development, Netflix has announced a new partnership with Kunle Afolayan to produce and premiere three new diverse films: a historical drama, a folklore fantasy, and a character drama.

All three will be set in Nigeria, the first of which will be an adaptation of Nigerian-American novelist, short-story writer, playwright and screenwriter, Seffi Atta’s third novel, Swallow.

The novel is about a naive secretary who, after a series of career woes, considers her roommate’s offer to work as a drug mule in mid-1980s Lagos.

The stories are diverse in genre, riveting in the storyline, and more importantly, uniquely Naija!

Afolayan confirmed in a recent interview with Ben Amadasun, Netflix’s director of content for Africa that he has concluded principal photography for the film.

Following up on his style of casting non-actors in lead roles, Afolayan’s latest film stars singer Niyola, Eniola Akinbo, as Tolani Ajao.

Other cast members include Chioma Akpotha, Deyemi Okanlawon, Ijeoma Grace Agu, Omotunde Adebowale, Eniola Badmus, Mercy Aigbe, Kelvin Ikeduba, Joke Muyiwa, BBNaija reality star Thin Tall Tony, and Olusegun Akinremi.

Watch the interview below: