Disney joins forces with a Nigerian production and distribution firm to commercialise in English-language West Africa several new releases of the American entertainment conglomerates like “Mulan.” The agreement made FilmOne Entertainment the exclusive distributors in Nigeria , Ghana and Liberia of Disney-owned films. FilmOne Entertainment has played a leading role in the growing film culture in Nigeria and has developed movies across the world, including IMAX screens.
Titles from all Disney’s divisions including Pixar, Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures and Blu Sky pictures were protected by this agreement which starts this month. Country film analysts say the deal will persuade investors and film manufacturers to explore the African film industry further. Thompson added that Distributing Disney films is a way to get the best content in films that can boost the region’s cinema culture and raise its future revenues.
In Western Africa, several movie theatres are not completely functioning, since there are limitations following the Covid-19 pandemic. However, FilmOne Entertainment claims that it strives to enhance the cinema experience as an opportunity for people to appear when all constraints have been removed. Disney ‘s partnership is not the first time in West Africa to become a global entertainment corporation. The first big film from China to Nigeria was signed in 2019 by FilmOne Entertainment with the Chinese media giant Huahua.
In the same year, the leading French-language film studio in Nollywood, Canal+, acquired ROK Film Studios, which would build additional hours in Nigerian for its francophone audience. Thompson also, a film analyst, says there is an increasing effect in Africa of entertainment companies such as Disney, without a corresponding presence of African film material in Hollywood. Babatope says that the collaboration is a chance for potential cooperation with predominantly African content, as FilmOne entertainment prepares for the delivery of Disney content.
Inputs from CNN