China’s Huahua Media has signed a new deal with AY’s Corporate World Entertainment along with FilmOne Entertainment.
Both parties will be co-producing “30 Days in China" which will feature the popular Nigerian actor and comedian Ayo Makun, popularly known by his stage name A.Y.
He will be reprising his Akpos role from his previous movies — “30 Days in Atlanta” and “A Trip to Jamaica.”
The movie, slated for release in 2020, will also have Nollywood and Chinese actors. It will be shot in Huahua Media’s studios in China.
Commenting on the collaboration, AY said, “We are enthusiastic about this opportunity because it extends the influence of our art to global markets. I look forward to working with the good people of Huahua and FilmOne to create a masterpiece in 30 Days in China.”
Co-founders of FilmOne Entertainment, Moses Babatope and Kene Okwuosa also said, “The 30 Days in China project is not just one to add a feather to our wings as a company, it positions the Nigerian film industry on the global stage as an advancing player, especially in terms of quality. We hope that this will open doors to more international collaborations.”
The race for Nigerian content
This deal showcases Nollywood to the Chinese film industry, the second-largest in the world, and exposes Chinese consumers to Nigerian content.
According to President of Huahua Media, Kefei Wang, “Investing in Nollywood has been of major importance to us, seeing the abundance of talent and the possibility of creating masterpieces with collaborations. We have identified prominent players in CWE and FilmOne and confident that the 30 Days in China film would yield outstanding results.”
Huahua Media has invested in major Hollywood blockbusters like “Transformer: The Last Knight,” “ Star Trek Beyond” and “Godzilla: King of Monsters.”
It also signifies a growing global interest in Nollywood as this partnership comes just months after French media giant Canal + acquired ROK, a major Nollywood film studio.
Netflix has the "Lionheart" acquisition, added more Nigerian movies to its library and is reportedly on the lookout for original local content.
China’s StarTimes has also shown an interest in Africa's most populous country by investing over $200 million in the local pay-TV market.
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