TheNewsGuru

Tag: Netflix

  • Why I included Fela Anikulapo’s music in new Netflix movie – Jay Z

    Why I included Fela Anikulapo’s music in new Netflix movie – Jay Z

    American rapper, Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter paid tribute to Nigerian music icon, Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti by including his song in the soundtrack of a new Netflix movie ‘The Harder They Fall’.

    Jay Z produced the Western, which stars Idris Elba, Regina King, Jonathan Majors, Delroy Lindo, among others.

    The Grammy award-winning rapper also curated the soundtrack for the movie.

    The soundtrack highlights black music from across the world, and Fela’s record ‘Let’s Start’ from 1971 ‘Live’ album is in the project.

    The record was also used in one of the trailers for the movie.

    Jay Z said Fela’s songs represented black people, so he included one of them in the soundtrack.

    “The idea of adding those landscapes to these images is super interesting. If you think about the time when Western was super popular and was the only thing on TV, it was influencing the world,” the hip-hop mogul said in an interview at the London screening of the movie.

    “So you had people in Jamaica dress up as Cowboys because these are images they had seen on TV.

    “So there is actual that place that exists over Western music and we have a few of those.

    “Just that juxtaposition of how art influences life and life influences culture was just interesting to us, and Fela Kuti was so hard it was just the best trailer, music of all time.

    “That’s what I listen to in the house, Jeymes (Samuel)-director of the movie- as well; that’s what we listen to when we kicking it. SO we just put the things that we really love. Cause it’s magic and magic going work.”

  • Squid Game becomes Netflix’s ‘biggest ever’ series

    Squid Game becomes Netflix’s ‘biggest ever’ series

    Squid Game — a fictional drama from South Korea — is Netflix’s “biggest-ever series at launch,” the streaming company exclusively told CNN on Tuesday.

    The dystopian series, in which contestants who are deeply in need of money play deadly children’s games to win cash prizes, has been watched by 111 million accounts since debuting on Netflix on September 17.

    To give that number some context, Netflix announced earlier this year that 82 million households watched “Bridgerton” in the first 28 days following its Christmas debut. “Squid Game” surpassed that number in a shorter amount of time.

    The series is No. 1 on Netflix’s Top 10 lists in 94 countries around the world. It’s the platform’s first-ever Korean series to reach No. 1 in the United States.

    The numbers speak to the sheer size of “Squid Games’” popularity and the speed at which it took off. But Netflix’s — and all streaming services’ — rating data comes with some important caveats.

    For starters, these numbers are from Netflix (NFLX) itself and have not been vetted by any outside sources. Also, that 111 million figure doesn’t mean everyone watched the series from start to finish. It is based on Netflix’s metric of accounts watching at least two minutes of the series.

    Regardless of Netflix’s often opaque accounting of its shows’ popularity, the important context is that the streaming giant’s competition is growing fiercer by the day, and “Squid Game” shows Netflix remains on top for a reason, CNN reports.

    For investors, as long as Netflix keeps adding subscribers, Wall Street will likely continue to be happy. “Squid Game” has hit the zeitgeist in a significant way, and buzz is the best means to attract new subscribers and keep current ones happy. The series has also earned great reviews, garnering a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

    Like many top streaming series, “Squid Game” has become a pop culture phenomenon. The series has generated memes and even Halloween costume ideas.

    The success of “Squid Game” speaks to Netflix’s ability to craft a worldwide hit. Netflix has 209 million subscribers and the company has worked to reach audiences on a global scale.

    “When we first started investing in Korean series and films in 2015, we knew we wanted to make world-class stories for the core K-content fans across Asia and the world,” said Minyoung Kim, Netflix’s Vice-President of content for Asia Pacific, excluding India.

    “Today, Squid Game has broken through beyond our wildest dreams. ‘Squid Game’ gave [Netflix] more confidence that our global strategy is going in the right direction,” Kim told CNN.

     

  • Izu Ojukwu’s ’76 to premiere on Netflix

    Izu Ojukwu’s ’76 to premiere on Netflix

    The 2016 Nigerian historical fiction drama film ’76’ will be showcased on Netflix, US streaming platform, on August 4.

    The movie was directed by Izu Ojukwu and it featured popular actors like Ramsey Noah, Rita Dominic, Ibinabo Fiberesima, and Chidi Mokele.

    On Friday, Ojukwu took to his Instagram page to appreciate fans for their invaluable support while adding that the movie will be available for “timeless consumption” on Netflix.

    “It’s been almost a decade since this picture, one so personal to me, was released in the cinemas,” he said.

    “Since its theatrical run, I have been asked several times when it would be available for timeless consumption. And I am glad to announce that 76 would open globally on Netflix on August 4.

    “As always, I thank you for your invaluable support.”

    The flick, which was set six years after the civil war (1967-1970), followed the story of a young military officer, from the middle belt, who got romantically involved with a South-eastern girl.

    The plot thickened when the officer was accused of being involved in the unsuccessful 1976 military coup and assassination of General Murtala Mohammed.

    After its release in 2016, the movie was selected to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2016 and BFI London Film Festival.

     

  • ‘Money Heist’ to return in September

    ‘Money Heist’ to return in September

    Die-hard fans of popular Netflix series have shown excitement over the announcement of a two-part final season for Money Heist’, crime action series, which is set to debut in September.

    This was announced on Monday when Netflix released a teaser for the movie’s fifth season.

    Volume one of season five will debut on September 3 while volume 2 will follow on December 3.

    The fifth season is the final for the Netflix original series. It is understood that each part will consist of five episodes to complete a ten-hour arc that will conclude the series’ story as told by Tokyo, the film’s narrator and protagonist.

     

    On the new season’s script, Álex Pina, its creator, was quoted by Variety as saying: “When we began to write Part 5 in the midst of the pandemic, we felt that we had to change what was expected from the ten-episode season

    “…and used every tool we could to create the sensation of a season finale or series finale in the first volume itself. We decided to work in an extremely aggressive genre, putting The Gang on the ropes.

    “In volume 2, we focus more on the emotional situation of the characters. It is a journey across their sentimental map that connects us directly to their departure.”

    The series has received several awards including the ‘Best Drama Series’ at the 46th International Emmy Awards.

     

  • Best TV Shows, movies you should see on Netflix this weekend

    Best TV Shows, movies you should see on Netflix this weekend

    Weekends presents ample opportunity to see new movies and shows.

    In no particular order, TheNewsGuru takes a look at movies and shows you should see this on Netflix this weekend.

    Who Killed Sara? – Season 2

    Season 2 of the Mexican mystery thriller Who Killed Sara? is now available to stream on Netflix this weekend. The series follows Álex Guzmán (Manolo Cardona), who after spending 18 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, is determined to find out who killed his sister Sara (Ximena Lamadrid). The more he digs into the case, the worse it all becomes, as he will get to know Sara’s true and terrible story and her relationship with the Lazcano family.

    Army of the Dead

    Zack Snyder’s zombie heist movie Army of the Dead has arrived on Netflix. Set after a zombie outbreak that left Las Vegas in ruins, Scott Ward (Dave Bautista), a former zombie war hero is approached by casino boss Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada) with the ultimate proposition: break into the zombie-infested quarantine zone to retrieve $200 million sitting in a vault beneath the strip before the city is nuked by the government in just 32 hours. With little left to lose, Ward takes on the challenge, assembling a ragtag team of experts for the heist. With a ticking clock, a notoriously impenetrable vault, and a smarter, faster horde of Alpha zombies closing in, only one thing is for certain: survivors take all.

    Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous – Season 3

    Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous is back with a third season on Netflix this weekend, just four months after the release of the second one. Camp Cretaceous follows a group of six teenagers chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at a new adventure camp on the opposite side of Isla Nublar – but this being a Jurassic World TV show, things won’t go as planned. When dinosaurs wreak havoc across the island, the campers are stranded. Now unable to reach the outside world, they will need to join forces to venture across the island if they want to survive.

  • Netflix moves to curtail password sharing

    Netflix moves to curtail password sharing

    Netflix, US streaming service, is considering a new move in order to curb the sharing of password among unauthorised users.

    According to BBC, the company’s spokesperson said the development has become imperative to ensure only subscribers enjoy its services.

    “This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorised to do so,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.

    There are signs that the initiative currently undergoing trial — may lead to a larger crackdown around password sharing when completed and applied.

     

    Some users said they have started seeing a notification which read “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching” on their screen.

    With the new arrangement, users can verify they are allowed to access the account by a code, sent via text or email.

    Although the streaming giant has not disclosed statistics of people using its services without approval, password sharing among users is said to have increased since the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

     

    A recent report by Magid, a market-research company, showed “one-third of subscribers to services like Netflix share their password with someone outside their household”.

    While Netflix and other streaming giants support the creation of multiple profiles within an account among users, the terms and conditions specify they are meant to be used by people in the household.

    Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and chief executive, had during a 2016 webcast, spoken on the seeming impossibility of addressing password sharing among users.

    “Password sharing is something you have to learn to live with, because there’s so much legitimate password sharing, like you sharing with your spouse, with your kids, so there’s no bright line, and we’re doing fine as is,” he had said.

  • Oramah, Anohu, Others Speak on new age collaborations as AIF, Afrexim, Netflix & AFCTA engage at Africa Soft Power Series

    Oramah, Anohu, Others Speak on new age collaborations as AIF, Afrexim, Netflix & AFCTA engage at Africa Soft Power Series

    Professor Benedict Oramah of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Ms. Chinelo Anohu of the Africa Investment Forum, and H.E Wamkele Mene of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Dean Garfield, Vice President, Public Policy at Netflix will all participate as panelists at a virtual session titled ‘The New Face of African Collaboration’.

     

    Slated for tomorrow Tuesday February 23, 2021 at 6pm, the session hosted by The Africa Soft Power Project brings these leading voices together to discuss the evolution of infrastructure development on the continent and the transformative possibilities that this age of connectivity holds for Africa’s creative industries and knowledge economy.

     

    With the emergence of the first woman and first African leader of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), African global standing has risen particularly at a time when the AfCFTA offers significant transformative opportunities for the continent’s economic growth.

     

    The session which will be moderated by Ben Yedder, Group Publisher & Managing Director, IC Publications, provides a veritable platform to explore the evolution of infrastructure development on the continent (including digital), whilst contextualising the strategic value of expanded trade opportunities to economic advancement and cultural integration in Africa.

     

    The discussion will also explore how legacy reputation issues have hindered Africa’s investment opportunities on the world stage, and how this is now being remedied through soft power plays, as well as physical and digital infrastructure investment.

     

    Yedder, who will lead the fireside and moderate the keynote conversation, will ask the guests to focus on the creative and knowledge sectors while examining how investors can take advantage of the inherent potentials to make Africa more appealing on the global stage.

     

    Attendance is free and participants can view via the following Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3pDGHw4

  • Oloture:We’ll go to court if need be —Abudu addresses Tobore’s $5m demand

    Oloture:We’ll go to court if need be —Abudu addresses Tobore’s $5m demand

    Media entrepreneur and filmmaker, Mo Abudu has kicked against the N2.5 billion purportedly demanded by Tobore Ovuorie, an investigative journalist, who accused her of copyright infringement with respect to ‘Oloture’, her 2020 movie.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Ovuorie had claimed that Abudu’s film adapted 75 percent of her 2014 undercover investigation on sex trafficking. She also claimed that it was done without her express permission.

    The media mogul, however, discredited the allegations in a 10-minute video shared on her Instagram page on Tuesday.

    The former human resources management consultant said Tobore’s lawyers sent a letter to her a month after the film was released on Netflix demanding N2.5 billion in compensation.

    Abudu also said she had earlier reached out to the publishers of Premium Times, Tobore’s employers as of when the story was filed, and obtained a go-ahead to make the flick while promising the reporter a cut from its theatre run.

    “Tobore wrote the article titled ‘Inside Nigeria’s Ruthless Human Trafficking Mafia’, which was published on August 12 2014 by the Premium Times, her employer at the time. Premium Times Services Limited, the publisher of Premium Times, has disclosed that she can’t lay claim to the investigative report that belongs to them,” she said.

    “According to the Premium Times editor-in-chief, only the media company and their partner on that project, Zam Chronicles, can lay claim to the copyright of that report based on Nigeria’s copyright law. We sought and obtained the rights from Premium Times, the owners of the story. As such, we fulfilled our legal obligations.

    “And do not take kindly to suggestions stating otherwise. There are several instances where we have acquired the rights to books, stories, and places such as ‘Queen Hunter’ ‘Death of the Kings Horsemen’, and ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives’. This is how our industry works. We dare not make a film without acquiring rights.

    “Although I have addressed our legal obligations, there were moral issues to be dealt with in a case like this. In May 2019, 20 months before the launch of ‘Oloture’ on Netflix, we reached out to Tobore to acknowledge her journalistic achievements, to recognise and encourage her in her ongoing campaign against sex trafficking and that of her NGO.

    “We granted her a private screening of the movie; gave her a special mention at the end of ‘Oloture’. And I interviewed her on ‘Moments with Mo’. In addition, we wrote to her and offered her five percent of the proceeds from our plan to cinema-run. This is to go towards her NGO, which she acknowledged. We also reached out to other NGOs.

    “This was to pledge proceeds from our cinema run as ‘Oloture was never created as a commercial film. We felt it was an important film to make and donors helped us to raise the money. Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the cinema release never happened. Instead, we decided to partner with Netflix, and the film was released on October 2, 2020.

    “Within a few days (after release), Tobore went on social media making accusations. She wrote to Netflix, launched an attack against Kenneth Gyang, who never saw the script until we approached him to direct. A month after, we got a letter from Tobore’s lawyers alleging copyright infringement and demanding $5 million in compensation.”

    Labeling Tobore’s financial demands as “extortionist and blackmailing” in nature, Abudu stated that she might resort to going to court if need be but said she remains open to settling the issue in an “appropriate conversation”.

    “At this point, our in-house lawyer suggested that we needed to engage an external legal counsel, which we did. We knew we had not infringed on her copyright because Premium Times owned it. We did not have N2.5 billion to give. In order to understand what her demands were based on, our lawyers began meeting with hers,” Abudu added.

    “That process stopped because her lawyers disengaged from her. Recently, Tobore started contacting out producers via WhatsApp and sending them horrid messages. To me, Tobore’s demands have become threatening, extortionist, and blackmailing in nature. If she felt she has a legal case, it could be best to come through the proper channels.

     

    “A few days before the film was released on Netflix, I had sent her a text message: ‘Hi dear, it’s strictly on Netflix. No cinema due to covid. I promised you a cash gift towards your foundation and I will still make it happen even though we did not have a cinema release’. However, everything changed after the growing popularity of the film on Netflix.

    “Oloture is a story inspired by true events and involving the work of scriptwriters, the development of characters and locations, situations, and occurrences that were created by our writers. Certain incidents in Oloture are similar to what happened to Tobore and this is why she was given credits. But it could never be her life story as claimed.

    “So many women from around trafficked to Italy have similar stories. Please let’s educate ourselves. If there is one thing I stand for, it’s about integrity, working hard, and standing up for what I believe in. We’ve not exploited Tobore or anyone else and we will not be exploited. The facts are clear. We have everything in writing.

    “And we’re prepared to defend ourselves against baseless attacks and legal challenges. We will not be intimidated because of the financial success of Oloture. However, our door is always open to having a conversation that is appropriate and right. Anything else will be refuted and rebuffed and, if necessary, settled in a court of law.”

     

  • Netflix announces new original contents from Nigeria

    Netflix announces new original contents from Nigeria

    Netflix, the world’s leading Internet entertainment service, has announced new Nigerian original series in the pipeline plus three new Nigerian branded films licensed to Netflix.

    Ben Amadasun, Netflix Director of Licensing and Co-Productions in Africa, announced this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    The three anticipated Nigerian films by some of Nigeria’s prolific filmmakers – Mo Abudu, Kunle Afolayan and Kemi Adetiba – are set to premiere on Netflix.

    They include Òlòtūré, the story of a young female journalist who goes undercover as a prostitute to expose a human trafficking syndicate.

    Set in Lagos, Nigeria, Òlòtūré is part of Netflix’s partnership with Mo Abudu and her production company, Ebonylife.

    It is directed by Kenneth Gyang, and is expected to launch globally on Oct. 2.

    There is also “Citation”, directed by Kunle Afolayan and produced by Golden Effects Pictures, which will also launch globally on Nov. 6.

    King of Boys II is the sequel to Kemi Adetiba’s 2018 crime thriller and which launches globally in the first half of 2021.

    Amadasun says “these Netflix Original films demonstrate how we’re building a home for the best-in-class Nigerian content for our members in Nigeria and beyond.’’

    Amadasun said that the Netflix Original films demonstrated how Netflix was building a home for the best-in-class Nigerian content for audiences in Nigeria and beyond.

    “It is amazing to see how Nigerian films and series resonate with audiences around the world.

    “ By making it easy for people to watch films and shows from other countries, we can help them build empathy and develop a shared understanding of the world,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Dorothy Ghettuba, the Lead for African Originals at Netflix, said that the new series and films were at different stages of production while others were ready to premiere.

    She said that Netflix was encouraged by abundant talents in the country to work with Nigerian content providers to produce original contents for global audience.

    “Netflix is proud to continue to invest in more original content from Nigeria.

    `We are also thrilled to grow our existing creative partnerships while forming new ones.

    “They will join people like Mo Abudu, Kemi Adetiba and Kunle Afolayan to bring more Nigerian stories onto the service.

    “We look forward to partnering with the Inkblot team to bring this exciting young adult series to life.

    “They will join the growing slate of Nigerian content on the service and debut to 193 million members in 190 countries around the world,’’ she said.

    NAN reports that Netflix is the world’s leading internet entertainment service with over 193 million paid memberships in over 190 countries.

  • Sanwo-Olu suspends director for imposing 5% levy on audio, visuals of digital platforms

    Sanwo-Olu suspends director for imposing 5% levy on audio, visuals of digital platforms

    Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has suspended the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board, Bamidele Balogun, for imposing a five per cent tax on digital platforms including Netflix and Iroko TV.

    The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, said this in a statement on Friday night titled, ‘Lagos State Has No 5% Levy on Audio and Visual Contents of Physical and Digital Platforms’

    Omotosho, who is the Spokesman for the state government, said Balogun acted without authorisation and was therefore suspended.

    The statement read in part, “There is no levy on audio and visual contents of all physical and digital platforms in Lagos State. The Executive Secretary, Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board, Mr. Bamidele Balogun, is said to have announced a five per cent levy.

    “The government hereby dissociates itself from the said announcement in the media. The Executive Secretary, who was not authorised to make such an announcement, has been suspended, pending an administrative enquiry.”

    He said the Sanwo-Olu administration is not insensitive to the fact that the industry has been badly hit by the effects of the COVID -19 pandemic and empathises with this and other sectors of the economy.

    A Federal High Court had barred the LSFVCB from levying film and video producers.

    Justice Chuka Obiozor of a Federal High Court had in a judgment in June 2020 stated that the LSFVCB could not be collecting taxes at the same time as the National Film and Video Censors Board as it amounted to double taxation.

    Despite the judgment, however, Baalogun had written letters to several digital platforms including Netflix and Iroko TV demanding five per cent.

    A letter, which was addressed to the Managing Director of Iroko TV, Jason Njoku, stated that the firm must pay five per cent on all visual and audio content.

    The letter dated August 31, 2020, read in part, “We hereby request for immediate payment of the five per cent levy on all audio and visual content produced, sold, distributed, marketed, exhibited, streamed, downloaded and shared across all physical and digital platform situate, lying and being within Lagos State.”