Kemi Adetiba’s new movie King of Boys had Its world premiere yesterday, and the A-list event brought together the very best entertainers in Nigeria. The stylish event which was themed “Gangster Royalty” saw the likes of Dare Art Alade, Sess The Produ Gold, Ebuka, Noble Igwe, Toni Tones and a host of others grace the red carpet.
The premiere marked the first time the movie was aired to the public and while a lot of talk from the premiere has been themed around the fashion, the film has also generated a lot of positive buzz due to its strong, compelling story. Many have called the movie a break from the norm and a perfect movie ahead of the election year, particularly due to its themes of political conflict and the quest for power.
Some early reactions from the movie include the following:
One of the major highlights of the event was the epic entrance of lead actress Sola Sobawale who was accompanied by dancers and traditional drummers.
The film follows the story of Alhaja Eniola Salami, a businesswoman and philanthropist with a checkered past and a promising political future. She is a pillar of society — loved by many, feared by most, and truly known by a select few. As her political ambitions see her outgrowing the underworld connections responsible for her considerable wealth, she’s drawn into a power struggle that threatens everything she holds dear. To come out of this on top, she will need every ounce of the cunning, ruthlessness, and strategy that took her to the top, as well as the loyalty of those closest to her. But who can she really trust?
Speaking ahead of the movie premiere, Kemi Adetiba expressed her delight at finally being able to tell such a compelling story. “After the huge success of “The Wedding Party”, I wanted to try my hands on a different style of storytelling, one that would show my versatility as a director and a storyteller. Yes, the process of making the movie might have been tedious, as we shot in over 75 different locations, but we are very proud of what we’ve created, and we can’t wait to share this with the world,” she remarked.
‘King of Boys’ which will be in cinemas on the 26th, features and an all-star cast with some of Nollywood’s finest including Sola Sobowale, Jide Kosoko, Paul Sambo, Adesua Etomi, Toni Tones, Sharon Ooja, Ademola Adedoyin, Lanre Hasan (Iya Awero), Osas Ighodaro, Funlola Aofiyebi, Sani Mu’azu, Paul Sambo as well as break out performances from hip-hop gods Reminisce and ill Bliss.
If you have been expecting Sola Sobowale’s next role in the Cinema/box office or, you have been hoping to watch Adesua Etomi speak fluent Yoruba on the big screen, or whether you’re just one of the movie lovers who has been waiting with bated breath for Kemi Adetiba’s new film, King of Boys, then you must know that the film is here and it is seriously not playing.
Many months after anticipating what is expected to be one of the biggest Nollywood movies this year, 2018, King of Boys premiered to an excited audience – and we mean it.
While you may have to wait four long days until the 26th of October to see this movie, what you need to know is that leading lady, Sola Sobowale has outdone herself, again. Adesua Etomi stuns as Adekemi and Rapper, Reminisce would give most of your favourite Nollywood Actors a run for their money.
Also, Director, Kemi Adetiba is making her sophomore film as a serious badass.
In what is one of the grittiest and blood-filled storytelling in ‘new Nollywood’s’ history, Adetiba holds her audience’s hands as she leads them on a journey filled with action, heavy drama and serious emotions while she tells the story of Eniola Badmus, a woman whose past may or may not have contributed to her supreme reign as the King of the underworld in western Nigeria.
She rules, she leads fearlessly and she slays.
All of these almost remind you of who Kemi Adetiba, the film’s director, herself is.
And that is not where the similarities drawn, end.
You see, neither Kemi nor Eniola spares you, as they take you through each second and moment of brutal display, blood, murder and extreme actions.
They promise and they deliver. They chase and know when to stop. In fact, they both take the viewers’ hearts and then ‘do and undo’ with it.
Just like Eniola Salami, Kemi gives the eyes watching an interesting dose of what they signed up for.
They leave them gaping, gasping and even worrying for some of their favourites in the story.
And this is probably what makes this movie one reminiscent of the old Nollywood days.
You see, the movie King of Boys, is arguably one of the best action-driven films Nollywood has seen since the times of Teco Benson and Tade Ogidan, both men, being the faces of ‘action Nollywood’ back in Nollywood’s early days.
Like those days, Kemi holds nothing back as she generously applies local languages, colouring her characters as beautifully as she can and casting appropriately those who effortlessly convince their audiences of what they do and who they are.
Everyone looks like what everyone is supposed to look like and at some point, you, the audience would almost forget who these people were in their real lives before taking up the role in King of Boys.
Reminisce may just have to deal with being called ‘Makanaki’ for a brief while and maybe we could get used to calling Sola Sobowale, ‘Oba’ aka King, for a short while.
One thing we would definitely remember for a very long time to come though, would be Kemi Adetiba’s bold decision to make this film.
It would not be forgotten, discarded from memory, neither would we ever forget the gangsta woman that many feared but still loved her Kwam1 and her almighty God.