Femi Adebayo’s new series, Seven Doors, has sparked widespread conversation and garnered an outpouring of positive reviews. However, bringing the show to life came with significant challenges and risks.
In a recent interview with This Day, the producer opened up about the hurdles faced during the production of Seven Doors. He discussed the bold decisions he made and the risks he was willing to take to ensure the project’s success.
Here’s what Femi Adebayo had to share about the journey behind creating Seven Doors.
Speaking about how his team rejected the story of�Seven Doors�when he brought it to them, Femi Adebayo said:
FEMI ADEBAYO: I have a team that we work together on any story that I have. I conceptualize it and conceive the ideas but some are born out of social messages, some are from personal stories and when I conceive the idea I call my team together so as to develop the story, then start to plot. It’s not a one-man job or what I do alone.
But I remember that this particular story when I presented it to my team, they condemned it. But I was like I want to do this story and I remember vividly that they all turned it down. And I insisted and by insisting they all felt that it’s my thing and agreed to work on it with me. Why I insisted was that I had a picture of moving away from the action, war and epic films that people have been seeing to a vintage story. And I know my fans were waiting for Jagun Jagun 2 but I didn’t want to stereotype Femi Adebayo to just epic films. Because I know what I have in me; I insisted to do this project.
Speaking about further risks he took, producing the movie with his own funds in the hopes that somebody will buy it, Femi Adebayo said:
FEMI ADEBAYO: Funny enough I pitched to [Netflix] after I have made the film as I didn’t look for investors when I was making the film. So it was self funded and Netflix acquired it after the production. I think it is better to self fund when you have the capacity and put in everything then you would have that confidence to pitch it after. And for all my projects that has been it and it gives me that flexibility of going with whoever I want to go with, but it is a lot of risk too.