As the new year slowly unfolds, fans and audience await the new cinematic actions, as well as TV stars who will grace their screens and keep them elated. In this magazine feature, Daily Trust Saturday highlights the prospects of the Nigerian entertainment industry in 2024.
Movies
The Diamond Ring remake
The Diamond Ring (1998) tells the story of a gifted university freshman who joins the wrong crowd and is tricked into stealing a deceased woman’s diamond ring. The theft is shortly followed by dire consequences. Starring in the film were Liz Benson, Bukky Ajayi, Bimbo Akintola, Richard Mofe Damijo, Sola Sobowale and Teju Babyface.
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2024: New movies, rising stars in the entertainment industry
In 2023, Play Network Studios announced that it had secured the rights to adapt the iconic thriller. While the story and actor list are still being finalised, many fans implored the studios to produce an engaging story due to the fact that they weren’t satisfied with the studio’s remake of Glamour Girls.
Nanjala
Nanjala is said to be the biggest Kannywood project as claimed by the producer – Abubakar Bashir Maishadda. The soon-to-be-released movie features some Nollywood heavyweights such as Enyinna Nwigwe, Nancy Isime, Segun Arinze, Sola Sobowale alongside Kannywood stars like Ali Nuhu, Sani Mu’azu, Rabiu Rikadawa, Asabe Madaki, among others. The movie is also reportedly the most expensive Kannywood movie with a budget worth over N35 million.
It was produced in 2020 by Abubakar Bashir Maishadda and Kabiru Jammaje, and directed by Ali Nuhu and assisted by late Aminu S. Bono.
Announcing their preparation, Ali Nuhu posted on Instagram, “After achieving success in faraway Turkey and the United States, Nanjala will soon hit our domestic screens. Thanks to the director Ali Nuhu, the producer Abubakar Bashir Maishadda, the cast and the entire crew.”
The Six
The Six is set to be the first original film produced by Play Network studios. The Six tells the tale of Richard Williams, a mysterious and captivating cult leader portrayed by Ramsey Nouah. Richard Williams had previously made brief cameos in the films Nneka: The Pretty Serpent, Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story, and Living in Bondage: Breaking Free.
After witnessing the magnetism of the main character in his cameo appearances, viewers anticipate an exciting plot.
Other new movies coming out include Aliya by Hassan Giggs, Hijack 93, Zafin Nema by Abdul Amart, Wacece by Sultan, Jagora by Izzar so team, Glamour girl sequel, biopics of Jaja of Opobo and Shina Rambo.
Rising stars to watch out for
Odumodublvck
Tochukwu Ojogwu, also known as Odumodublvck, is a rapper and singer who dominated the charts in 2023 with popular songs like ‘Dog Eat Dog’, ‘Declan Rice’ and ‘Blood on the Dancefloor’. The video for ‘Blood on the Dancefloor’ featuring Bloody Civilian has received over 4 million views on YouTube. He came in at number four on TurnTable’s list of NXT Emerging Top Artists in January 2023. At the 2023 Headies, he also won the titles of “Best Rap Single” and “Rookie of the Year”.
Amina Uba Hassan
Amina Uba Hassan popularly known as Maman Haidar or Amina Rani is the ex-wife of famous Kannywood actor, Adam A. Zango. Her scintillating role in Labarina, earned her a new name Jamila Labarina, and a veteran actor, Al’amin Ciroma, said of her: “Jamila’s oscar-worthy performance leaves critics speechless. In a world of make-believe characters, Jamila stands as the beacon of a genuine contemporary Hausa woman, far from the whimsical portrayal attributed to Maryam. Jamila’s authenticity shines through, making her the true star of the movie. Her natural talent and undeniable prowess on screen affirm her remarkable acting abilities.” Daily Trust projects that she will be a sought-after actress in 2024.
Fatima Hussaini
Another actress that will likely shine in 2024 is Fatima Hussaini, popularly known as Ladidi, or Maryam Labarina for her role in Labarina. The beautiful actress took the industry by storm, and is ready to keep the ball rolling in 2024.
Shallipopi
Crown Uzama, better known as Shallipopi, rose to prominence in 2023 thanks to the popularity of his song ‘Elon Musk’. The song reached the top of the Nigeria Top 100 Apple Music chart, despite receiving a lot of negative feedback. Expanding upon that accomplishment, he put out his debut album ‘Presido La Pluto’, which peaked at number one on TurnTable’s Top 50 Albums and at number five on the Apple Music Top 100 Albums chart. In 2023, he was also among the top Google-searched Nigerian musicians.
Nasboi
Even though Nasboi is better known for writing skits and acting, he showed off his singing ability in 2023 when he collaborated with Wande Coal on the song ‘Umbrella’. The song became viral thanks to a carefully planned social media marketing campaign that included dance challenges performed by other content creators. Right now, the song is among the nation’s top hits.
Others include Zikrullahi Abubakar, Rabi’atu Sulaiman who replaces Aisha Tsayima in Manyan Mata, Zarah Aliyu and others.
