With the success of the sequel to the 1992 film, Living in Bondage released in November, Nollywood lovers are opening up to the possibility of remakes and sequels of old films onscreen.
Nowadays, it’s not strange for filmmakers to produce sequels of their successful films, for example, The Wedding Party, King of Boys, and Merry Men, but what will be more exciting is seeing remakes or sequels of classics which we grew up watching on home video. With the remake of Living in Bondage, movie taste buds have been opened in the heart of Nollywood lovers to seeing old films in modern light onscreen and not just recent movies getting sequels.
Remakes are interesting and give a whole new kind of rush when stories of the past are retold. Who doesn’t love a good story retold?
Personally, I believe the remake of movies are a good trend to follow, with a select of original classics from the 90s. The feeling that comes with hearing about and seeing the remake of your favourite films is a whole vibe but it must be stated that remakes will only be a good thing to see when properly produced and better than the first film.
Producers must also understand that sequels should only be created when there is an actual continuation of the plot and not when the story has actually reached its climax. In such cases, the sequel may come out poorly in the aspect of story. Sequels shouldn’t be the first consideration when a movie hits the box office making millions of dollars. Remakes should not be incessantly created, they should be carefully thought out and created for an audience excited to see it happen.
Recently, the executive producer of Living in Bondage: Breaking Free, Charles Okpaleke confirmed that the remake of the 1994 classic, Glamour Girls, was in the works. This is the kind of content we signed up for!
Dear Nollywood lover, would you love to see more remakes and sequels on your screens?
For us at Cinema Shed, we are looking forward to well-written sequels and properly created classic remakes. If Hollywood and Bollywood can create remakes that we love to see, we believe Nollywood can equally do better.