Telling African stories can be an interesting thing, especially when it is an African doing it. Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife Studio has secured a collaboration with Starz and 50 Cent’s G-Unit Fils and Television to do just that.
The coming project will tell the story of the fearless warrior Queen Nzinga, and the setting will be in 17th century Angola.
Yetide Badaki from the series ‘American gods’ will take the lead role in ‘Queen Nzinga’ and also double as the show’s co-executive producer alongside 50 Cent, Mo Abudu, and Steven A. DeKnight.
“The continent of Africa has a treasure trove of stories that are yet to be told. Queen Nzinga is a story that I have wanted to tell for a long time, so when EbonyLife Studios finally found a home for this project at Starz and Lionsgate, it was a dream come true.
“We are happy to be at the forefront of forging these new partnerships with such an incredible team of creatives because it is truly about sharing our local stories with a global audience — stories that are historical, authentic, and progressive.”
“It has been a long-held dream of mine to bring the story of Nzinga to the screen. Her courage, determination, and passion resonated from the moment I laid eyes on historical depictions of the legendary queen.”
“I am thrilled by Starz’s continued commitment to much-needed stories about and by historically excluded voices and the deeply talented team being built to share this epic narrative with the world.”
What this means for EbonyLife Studios
This is not Mo Abudu’s first international deal this year, but this shows her commitment to telling African stories internationally and the results prove that she’s putting in the work to get things done.
There have been new collaborations lately in the African entertainment industry, a move to show that Africa is not sleeping. This new development is further proof of the fact that entertainment will contribute immensely to the growth of Africa’s economical growth in the coming years.