Dear reader,
In July’s newsletter, I complained about 2021 summer’s slow movie activities and asked you guys why we didn’t have a summer movie yet. It seems like I spoke too soon, cos what was that with those Fast and Furious Dom Family memes. Like, it has been a long time since I saw a meme transcend sectors as this one did at the start of July. It was a fun ride while it lasted (pun or no pun, you tell me). As I mentioned in that newsletter issue, I wasn’t after just quality, but I was just looking for that movie that would get talked about on and off social media, and Fast and Furious has won it, with its latest installment, F9. It will be a difficult task for any other movie to beat what Dom and his gang, sorry family, has done.
Moving away from Hollywood and cinema, Netflix Nigeria introduced a new mobile plan for 1,200 naira only. With this plan, you can only download and watch on phones and tablets. They seem to have plans to capture the country in this second half of the year, with its subscriber count slowing in the US, the company really has to look abroad for new customers. Yes, I said plans, because the mobile plan is coming just in time for the release of Kemi Adetiba’s King of Boys sequel set to be released on August 27. The original movie is one of the highest grossing Nigerian movies, but with the sequel, a 7-part mini series, set to be a Netflix exclusive, they would be looking to win the KOBArmy over. Beyond this, the service should also be looking to release the previously announced Kunle Afolyayan title(s) in the second half of the year. Just in the first week of August, old movies like Ije: The Journey, ‘76, and Quam’s Money will be released. And you can enjoy it all just for 1,200 naira only, albeit a mobile plan.
Kindly follow us on twitter and Instagram and join our #DearNollywood campaign as we promote #InPraiseOfCriticism, our open letter to the industry, which you can read here. We do not expect you to agree with everything we say. And that’s the point, we don’t want you to. We want to have a discussion and spark a national conversation, because #EnoughIsEnough, and it is time for people to know that their favourites are bullies. We all speak against bullying on social media, right? So, please let’s take a stance now and protect Nigeria’s cultural legacy. A society’s culture shouldn’t be joked with, and that might just be another topic for another day. Regardless, kindly follow us on those platforms for frequent film and TV updates.
Monthly News Pick
- The Witcher season 2 will be released on December 17, 2021 on Netflix
- A Succession trailer was released and we can expect the third season to premiere later this year.
- Netflix wants to start offering video games on mobile as subscribers slow down in worrying signs for the streaming giant.
- Kayode Kasum’s Soole, a film inspired by a night bus journey from Kaduna to Lagos, is set to release on November 12.
- Marvel series Hawkeye is set to premiere on November 24.
- Delroy Lindo is set to star in Amazon Studios’ adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s “Amansi Boys”, which will have no connection to the previously cancelled American gods.
- Last but not the least, we lost Nollywood legend Rachel Oniga. May her soul rest in peace.
Non-Review essays in July
Some posts don’t have to be reviews.
We reviewed the following movies
Reviews as you know them.
Highlight of New Films in August
Highlight of New TV Series in August
Special mentions: Bitter Rain (13th, cinemas), and CODA (13th, Apple TV+).
The following TV shows return in August: Stargirl season 2 (10th, CW), Titans season 3 (11th, HBO Max), Diary of a Future President season 2 (18th, Diseny+), Coroner season 3 (19th, CW), The Walking Dead season 11 (22nd, AMC), Supergirl season 6 (24th, CW), American Horror Story season 10 (25th, FX), Archer season 12 (25th, FXX), Family Reunion season 4 (26th, Netflix), and See season 2 (27th, Apple TV+).
Which of the film(s) and TV show(s) are you looking forward to the most? Did we forget any? Let us know in the comments below.
You can read the reviews to a number of the mentioned films and TV series when the month starts. Keep an eye out. You can subscribe to email notifications and follow us on our social media pages.
Thank you for all you do, reader.
Bis bald,
Ikeade Oriade
(Managing Editor)
