Lateef Adedimeji, a renowned Nollywood actor and producer, put in tremendous effort on his latest film, Lisabi, which paid off when Netflix acquired the rights.
However, after the film was released on the popular streaming platform, it was discovered that Lisabi was only accessible to viewers in Africa.
This limited distribution was not what Lateef or his fans had expected, leading to disappointment. As a result, numerous emails have been exchanged between upset fans and Lateef, as well as between Lateef and Netflix, seeking clarification.
Here’s what Lateef Adedimeji told The Nation about the whole thing during a new interview.
During the interview, when asked “How does it feel that the movie is NOT on the international scene?” Lateef Adedimeji revealed saying:
LATEEF ADEDIMEJI: I think that is what we’re still working on. I have sent a series of emails to Netflix because it’s supposed to be a global release. So why they released it in Africa and not in the global world yet is what we don’t know. I’m sure from our mails and from a lot of people that have mailed them and asked
them questions, I’m sure they should be able to give a reply to whatever. People are very angry, and I wrote to them and told them “this movie is not just for Africa. It’s our story. The global world needs to see the story. And we have a lot of Nigerians in the diaspora that really want the story.” People were even swearing for me and I was like, “I’m not a streaming platform.”
“You mean the audience took it personal?”
LATEEF ADEDIMEJI: My mail is full of “What nonsense are you doing?” It’s just normal. I know that’s because there’s been a lot of excellent reviews. And then it’s painful to them that they are seeing this review and they can’t get to watch. So it’s just normal for that to happen, which is fine, so it’s not a problem. I’m sure they’ll work on it, and then they will do the needful.
Oh wow! I actually hope this is sorted out as I’m sure Lateef and his fans were expecting and would have loved a global release for the film. After all his hustle to get it done, I truly hope Netflix does right by him sooner rather than later.