Hollywood actor, David Oyelowo, has hinted at a possible collaboration with some of Nollywood’s big names, saying he is committed to seeing Nigerian stories being told to a global audience.
Asked if he was open to Nollywood collaborations, the Nigerian-British actor said, “Yes, absolutely. I have been in talks with Genevieve Nnaji, trying to figure out what to do with her. Adesua Etomi is another actress I really admire,” he told The PUNCH in an interview.
He added: “It is a big focus of mine and my company to see our stories told to a global audience.”
On his assessment of the Nigerian film industry and the needed changes he thinks it needs to rank high globally, Oyelowo said, “I believe Nollywood is rated as the third largest film industry in the world. That is very significant and I think the change is already happening. The increase in production value, increase in notoriety, the cultural impact of Nigeria and Nigerians on the global stage when it comes to fashion, literature, music and of course, movies. I think that is only going to increase, especially now that we have digital platforms to get our stories and artistic endeavours to the world.
“10 years ago, that was not as possible or as easy and I believe that the next 10 years is going to get even better and be more possible. I am very excited as to what the future holds because our artistic prowess is not in question. What has been challenging is the means of getting our works to a global audience, and that is being solved as we speak.”
Born to Nigerian parents in the United Kingdom, Oyelowo was raised in Nigeria before he relocated to the United States at the age of 13.
He is notable for films like ‘Selma’, ‘Queen of Katwe’, ‘Gringo’ and ‘The Water Man’.
