John Boyega signs Netflix deal to produce West, East African movies

John Boyega, Nigerian-British actor, has signed a multi-year deal with Netflix, US media-services firm, to produce West and East African movies.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the deal signed with UpperRoom Productions, Boyega’s company, is aimed for a slate of non-English language films from Nigerian and Egypt.

Boyega company’s inclusion in the deal is believed to help spearhead projects based on African IP such as literary properties, Nollywood classics, screenplays and mythology.

Reacting to the development, the ‘Star Wars’ actor relished his company’s involvement in the deal, noting such corroborates its core vision.

“I am thrilled to partner with Netflix to develop a slate of non-English language feature films focused on African stories and my team and I are excited to develop original material,” he said.

I am thrilled to announce that my production company, UpperRoom Productions, will be partnering with Netflix International, to develop a slate of non English feature films. https://t.co/n0xUlLqRaO

— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) March 10, 2020

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“We are proud to grow this arm of our business with a company that shares our vision.”

Similarly, David Kosse, Netflix’s vice president of international film, expressed optimism that the partnership would further strengthen its investment in exploring Africa’s rich culture.

“Africa has a rich history in storytelling and for Netflix, this partnership with John and UpperRoom presents an opportunity to further our investment in the continent while bringing unique African stories to our members both in Africa and around the world,” he said.

The deal comes on the heels of Netflix’s growing collaboration with African movie industries. The streaming giant recently premiered ‘Queen Sono’, its first-ever original TV series from Africa.

In February, Netflix also announced its presence in Nollywood with the launch of a Nigerian twitter account.