The Black Book 2: Severance Producer Joins Editi Effiong’s Sequel

In 2023, The Black Book arrived on Netflix and did what few Nigerian films had done before. Made on a reported $1 million budget, the revenge thriller climbed to No. 3 on Netflix’s global charts, entered the Top 10 in more than 69 countries, and pulled in over 20 million views worldwide.

Now, the sequel is coming with heavyweight backing from Hollywood.

Emmy-nominated producer Nicholas Weinstock, one of the producers behind Apple TV+’s prestige sci-fi series Severance, is officially on board to produce The Black Book 2: Old Scores. The project will be produced by Weinstock’s Invention Studios alongside Editi Effiong’s Anakle Films, with Effiong returning as writer and director.

The partnership follows Effiong’s 2024 signing with Zero Gravity Management, the Hollywood firm known for handling titles such as Ozark and The Accountant. Together, the moves signal a sequel that is positioned for a much larger international footprint than the original.

Nicholas Weinstock’s involvement is the headline development. He is a producer on Severance, Apple TV+’s psychological thriller that became the platform’s most-watched series after its second season launch in 2025. That season earned 27 Emmy nominations, making it the most-nominated series of the year.

Severance is widely regarded as a flagship prestige drama, praised for its precise world-building, mystery, and tightly controlled pacing. It blends corporate satire with sci-fi tension, and its careful storytelling has become part of its appeal.

Weinstock’s broader producing credits include the feature films Thelma (2024), Queenpins (2021), and Dinner in America (2020), as well as the Emmy-nominated series Escape at Dannemora. He is also producing Clarissa, a Nigerian-set adaptation of Mrs Dalloway starring Sophie Okonedo, David Oyelowo, and Ayo Edebiri.

His attachment to The Black Book 2 suggests that the sequel may scale up in both scope and craft.

The original Black Book starred Richard Mofe-Damijo as Paul Edima, a former hitman turned deacon who returns to violence after his son is framed and killed by a corrupt police unit. The film explored themes of police brutality, government corruption, and the cost of justice in contemporary Nigeria.

By the end of the film, Paul had exposed key players and cleared his son’s name. But the so-called “Black Book” itself pointed to a much wider web of corruption embedded in the system.

The sequel, titled Old Scores, will pick up directly from where the first film ended. According to the official blurb, the story will “delve deeper into themes of justice, redemption, and societal unrest in contemporary Nigeria,” with Paul Edima continuing his assault on the corrupt establishment.

Effiong returns to write and direct, maintaining creative continuity. No new casting announcements have been confirmed yet, but the expectation is that Richard Mofe-Damijo will reprise his role.

While The Black Book was already a landmark moment for Nigerian cinema on Netflix, this sequel arrives under different circumstances.

Effiong’s signing with Zero Gravity Management in 2024 placed him within a Hollywood talent ecosystem that has shepherded major award-calibre projects. That connection, paired with Weinstock’s track record in prestige television and international features, positions The Black Book 2 for stronger global awards consideration and broader distribution leverage.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Effiong said:
“The Black Book showed us that local stories can spark global conversations. With Old Scores, we’re not just continuing a story, we’re continuing a movement — one that affirms the power of African voices to shape cinema worldwide.”

Effiong founded Anakle Films in 2018, expanding from his background in advertising and tech into feature filmmaking. The company previously produced Up North and The Setup, both acquired by Netflix, and partnered with the U.S. Mission in Nigeria on the short film Fishbone.

The sequel, therefore, represents both a continuation of Paul Edima’s story and the next phase of Effiong’s international push.

There is currently no confirmed release date for The Black Book 2: Old Scores. Production timelines have not been publicly disclosed.

Given the scale of the new partnership and Netflix’s typical release cycles, a late 2026 or early 2027 premiere appears plausible. However, no official window has been announced.

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