West African film giant, FilmOne Entertainment, has signed a pact with Atlanta-based company, CEM Media Group, and Moses Inwang’s Sneeze Films, for the production of a new feature film, titled Lockdown.
The film is scheduled for theatrical release on the 28th of May, by FilmOne Entertainment who doubles as the distributor.
Lockdown is a thriller that tells of the coincidental and chaotic meeting of six individuals from different works of life, as a result of a sudden government-imposed lockdown, following the outbreak of a pandemic. Forced to share the same four walls, professional and character flaws are exposed and an unexpected romance story erupts from the chaos.
Speaking about the production, an executive producer of the film and co-founder of CEM Media & IfactoryLive Africa, Michael Djaba, is enthusiastic, “Alongside my partners Cynthia and Eric Stephens, we are firm believers in Moses Inwang’s blockbuster vision for Lockdown, and partnering with FilmOne is a sign of the significant investment we are making into a slate of crossover Nollywood films this year,” he said. Djaba is renowned for films such And Then There Was You (starring Garcelle Beauvais) and Northern Affair (starring award-winning actress, Joselyn Dumas).
Lockdown features a synergy of veteran and new Nollywood stars, including Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Sola Sobowole, Chioma Akpotha, Tony Umez, Jide-Kene Achufusi, and Ini Dinma-Okojie, amongst others. Director and executive producer, Moses Inwang, renowned for blockbusters such as Merry Men 2, Crazy People, and Alter Ego, is excited about the film, “When I conceived this story in 2016, I knew it would be one of my biggest work so far.
“Early last year, we couldn’t film Lockdown because an actual lockdown came upon us but we didn’t back down from the project, and gladly, the investors CEM Media, iFactory, and FilmOne, kept believing in the film. Today, I’m very excited that the world is about to witness the magic we have made,” he said.
Lockdown is amongst the slate for the second batch of the West African Film Fund (WAFF), sponsored by FilmOne Entertainment, Huahua Media, and Empire Entertainment. Speaking on behalf of the WAFF companies, Managing Director of FilmOne Entertainment, Moses Babatope, expressed optimism, “Some of the things we strive to achieve in creating films for theatrical consumption is ensuring that they are relatable and entertaining to the viewing audience.
“In Lockdown, we have identified a niche content that soothes these qualities, and to know that we have formidable partners in Michael Djaba and director, Moses Inwang, is assuring that we can create magic for the big screen,” he said.
With Nollywood films dominating Nigeria’s box office since the halt in releases from big Hollywood studios due to the pandemic, Lockdown is expected to be one of the top-grossing films in the second quarter of the year.
Lockdown opens in cinemas on May 28th, 2021.
