A few weeks ago, Nigerian filmmaker, Bolanle Austen-Peters has announced the new project she was working on, revealing that she was making a Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti biopic.
The filmmaker has however gone ahead to give an update on progress, and at the same time unveiling three big names in the Nollywood industry who will be showing in the biopic.
While praising veteran actors, Jide Kosoko, Dele Odule, and Adebayo Salami for their impressive work on the set of the highly anticipated Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti biopic, she also revealed them as the new cast that will be joining the project.
She made this revelation through an Instagram post she made where she stated how the veterans made the filming of the biopic worthwhile.
“So I had Nigeria’s Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, and Robert De Niro in my newest movie. Messers Jide Kosoko, Dele Odule, and Adebayo Salami. The trio was phenomenal. We came prepared. When God has a plan. He brings three of the biggest of Nollywood to your team.”
“I had cast other actors in the same key roles but time and coordination didn’t permit them so we had to rejig and voila! These three giants of Nigerian Moviedom just happened to be available. They made us laugh, cry and we truly made history come alive.
“Extremely professional and respectful of their craft and respectful of my craft. What an honor Sirs. The wealth of experience and knowledge was incredible. I am truly honored. We made our culture come alive so beautifully, so regal so elegant. Thousands of years of civilisation was brought to the screen.”
It is worthy of note that the trio is not the only one who got the filmmaker’s praise. She also hailed Nollywood veteran, Joke Silva, the film’s lead actress for performing all her stunts without requiring any help.
“Then of course Sis Joke Jacobs! Hmmm. She did all her stunts herself at 60? Even I couldn’t do what I asked her to do. Respect to her commitment to her craft. She nailed it. Never complained once. All smiles and zoning into her character without distractions.”
Other casts of the biopic include Kehinde Bankole, Keppy Ekpenyong, Omowunmi Dada, Bikiya Graham-Douglas, Ibrahim Suleiman, Adunni Ade, Patrick Diabuah, and Shawn Faqua.
The biopic is expected to be released in 2022.