Star Wars actor John Boyega is teaming with Netflix via his UpperRoom banner to develop non-English language films focusing on west and east Africa. Netflix has sought to increase its footprint on the continent in the last couple of weeks through the launch of its first series, Queen Sono and the announcement of Netflix Naija.
UpperRoom said it “will develop film projects based on stories, cast, characters, crew, literary properties, mythology, screenplays and/or other elements in or around African countries.”
“I am thrilled to partner with Netflix to develop a slate of non-English language feature films focused on African stories, and my team and I are excited to develop original material,” commented Boyega. “We are proud to grow this arm of our business with a company that shares our vision.”
“Africa has a rich history in storytelling, and for Netflix, this partnership with John and UpperRoom presents an opportunity to further our investment in the continent while bringing unique African stories to our members both in Africa and around the world,” said David Kosse, VP of international film at Netflix. The deal will see the two partner to produce a number of non-English films focusing on East and West Africa under the actor’s production company UpperRoom.
We look forward to seeing the results of the partnership and what it could mean for African storytelling.
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