Yoruba epic title 'Kesari' will begin streaming on Netflix this January

Indigenous language epic film Kesari by Ibrahim "Itele" Yekini will commence streaming on Netflix this month.

Film One Entertainment announced on Instagram today that the Yoruba language title that exited the cinemas late last year, will on January 28, 2024 join the ranks of Merry Men 3, Dinner and Adire to streaming.

The move underscores how streaming has been offering a new pipeline for extra income to producers long after these titles have made waves in the box office. It also is in locked steps with a new Netflix direction of releasing even its originals first in the cinemas, before they get integrated into its algorithms. Titles like Good Grief were first screened in the cinemas.

Kesari started as a three-part YouTube series and then moved on to Nigerian cinemas on August 25, 2023. It was praised for being one of the first Yoruba noirs to make the dynamic switch to the big screens, joining the likes of Agesinkole and Orisa which helped establish Indigenous titles as viable content for the cinemas.

The action thriller tells the story of a tough robber armed with charms who meets his match when he is chased down by an efficient policeman. The movie rounded up its 11-week cinematic run with a cumulative gross of ₦78,106,925, making it the second highest-grossing Nigerian epic title for 2023.

Produced and directed by Yekini, it features Mr Macaroni, Deyemi Okolanwon, Femi Adebayo Salami, Ibrahim Lateef, Odunlade Adekola, Deyemi Okanlawon, and Yvonne Jegede.

Watch the trailer below: