The success of the remake of ‘Living In Bondage’ has raised a conversation around older Nollywood movies. The question is – ‘Should more Nollywood movies be reproduced now that there is better technology for better quality pictures?’ Charles Opaleke, the executive producer of “Living in Bondage: Breaking Free”, has already secured the rights to the 1994 Nollywood blockbuster, “Glamour Girls”.
These remakes have led us to consider 10 Nollywood movies from that era that would do well if they are reproduced.
1. Diamond Ring: The 1998 movie was very timely when it was released. It revolved around the life of ‘Chidi’ who was cajoled by his friends to join a cult. In order to prove his worthiness, he was made to steal from a corpse who began to haunt him and all his friends. With the advancement the industry has made in recent times, they would be able to produce a more terrifying version of the story.
2. Most Wanted: One of the most iconic things about this movie was the fashion and costuming. It was also one of the first Nollywood movies that depicted Nigerian women as very powerful. It will break the bank if recreated now because the women empowerment movement has gotten stronger. Imagine what can be done with all the shooting scenes, car races, and awesome style moments from the movie now.
3. Silent Night: The 1996 movie gave us Segun Arinze, who got his nickname, ‘Black Arrow’ from this film and Ramsey Nouah. The movie revolved around the ‘Black Arrow’ cult. The story would be useful as a way to help curb gang-related violence. Plus, if you get the right cast to play the characters in the movie, you would have gotten yourself a blockbuster.
4. Igodo: Land of The Living Dead: The 1999 movie is credited for paving the path to Nollywood epic movies. Centred around restitution and redemption, this adventure flick had a well thought out plot. It was also good for cultural references since they shot parts of the film in areas such as the Osun-Osogbo grove. It will be perfect for a remake because there will be better visual representations of all the happenings on the characters’ journey to absolution.
5. Oleku: This was a Yoruba movie produced by Tunde Kilani as an adaptation of a book written by the Late Professor Akinwunmi Ishola. It was centred around a Yoruba demon named Akanni, played by Yemi Shodimu. More than ever, this narrative is appealing to the audience, so if someone was to reproduce this movie now, they may just be smiling all the way to the bank.
6. Hostages: Hostages was written in 1993 for TV and directed by Tade Ogidan. It was released in 1996 and was loved for its visuals. The story had a lot of twists and turns and they had support from the Nigerian Police. If it’s recreated now, the new technology should make it easier to recreate all the police scenes and it will be another opportunity to shine the light on some of the excesses of the Nigerian law.
7. Mortal Inheritance: It was produced by Zeb Ejiro and released in 1996. It told the story of Kemi (played by Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde) who had sickle cell anaemia and had fallen in love with a man that was AS. It was timely, socially conscious and had some tribalistic undertones. The conversations present as at the time the movie was first put out are still present now and will make for a good film.
8. Sango: This was a Yoruba story where the actors spoke English. It revolved around the life of the legendary 15th century Alaafin of Oyo who later became a deity to the Yoruba people. It helped to set a tone for Wale Adebayo’s career. He played the role of ‘Sango’. The movie is great for cultural referencing. It would be perfect now since there is a whole generation that does not know a lot about Sango. With the innovation in technology now, it can be made into a superhero film like something ‘Marvel’ or ‘DC’ would shoot and use it to teach the new generation about old traditions.
9. Violated: This is one of the most interesting romance movies in Nollywood. Written and directed by Amaka Igwe, the film was released in 1996. If this movie is reproduced, there’s room for recasting and hopefully, the new cast will find a way to recreate the chemistry RMD and Ego Boyo had the first time the movie was produced.
10. Yemi My Lover: If this sounds familiar to you, it’s because Olamide has a song with this same title that was most likely inspired by this film. It is a Yoruba movie released in 1993 and filmed as a musical. The play would probably be classified as a mix of fantasy and musical if it was recreated today. The story revolved around a guy who had fallen in love with a fish turned woman. With more artists trying their hands on acting, it would be easy to find people to play the roles and kill the singing. We would suggest Ayoola Ayolola and Simi play the lead roles.
The Nollywood films from that era were epic and if every single one of them could be remade just for their storyline alone, we’ll be down to watch them. But for now, these are our top 10 picks of feature films from the 90s that should be reproduced. Do you agree with all of these movies, or would you prefer others from that time? Tell us in the comment section below!
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by 208headlines