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Nollywood actor and filmmaker Femi Adebayo has opened up about the behind-the-scenes strategy that helped his latest film, Ageshinkole 2, overcome piracy concerns and achieve remarkable commercial success within days of its release.
The Yoruba epic sequel has continued its strong box office run, reportedly earning over ₦400 million in just 12 days—an achievement Adebayo credits to careful planning, innovative distribution, and collaboration with experienced industry partners.
Speaking during a recent interview, the filmmaker explained that piracy, one of the biggest challenges facing the Nigerian film industry, was tackled head-on through the film’s technical and distribution framework. According to him, Circuit TV, one of the project’s key partners, took primary responsibility for safeguarding the content.
“Piracy was fully handled by Circuit TV. They have an extremely wonderful structure in which the content they have can be pirated. Then with Blue Pictures, my distributor, we brought together our experience and we had no doubts that with our logistics and framework, we would get it right,” Adebayo said.
He noted that rather than leaving anti-piracy measures to chance, the production team deliberately aligned with partners whose systems were built to limit illegal reproduction and distribution. This, he said, significantly reduced losses often associated with high-demand releases.
Adebayo also praised Blue Pictures for its role in ensuring the film reached audiences efficiently and securely. He explained that the synergy between the distributor and Circuit TV created a solid operational structure that worked both technically and logistically.
Beyond digital safeguards, the actor-producer revealed that Ageshinkole 2 benefited from an unconventional release model designed to outsmart pirates while expanding audience access. In December 2025, Adebayo announced the launch of Ageshinkole 2: King of Thieves 2 through a Community Cinema tour across different parts of Nigeria.
The initiative moved away from depending solely on conventional cinema halls, instead taking the film directly to grassroots communities. According to Adebayo, this approach not only helped limit piracy but also strengthened the connection between the film and its core audience.
He described the community screenings as a deliberate effort to rethink film distribution in Nigeria, especially for culturally rooted stories that resonate strongly with local audiences.
“For me, it was also about giving back to the people who support our work. We wanted to meet them where they are, not just in big cinemas,” he explained.
The community cinema tour, which ran throughout December 2025 and into early January 2026, proved to be both commercially viable and culturally impactful. Industry observers have since described it as a potential blueprint for future Nollywood releases, particularly for epic and indigenous-language films.
Adebayo added that the success of the sequel was also driven by the strength of the Ageshinkole franchise itself. Building on the popularity of the first instalment, Ageshinkole 2 delivered more intense drama, elevated production quality, and deeper storytelling rooted in Yoruba history and tradition.
He noted that audiences responded positively to the film’s expanded narrative, stronger character arcs, and heightened suspense, factors that helped sustain interest beyond the opening days.
With Ageshinkole 2 continuing to draw attention for both its earnings and distribution model, Adebayo’s latest success highlights how innovation, collaboration, and strategic planning can help Nollywood filmmakers protect their work and maximise returns in an industry still grappling with piracy challenges.
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