Anticipated epic thriller series Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre, which is a spinoff from the 2022 drama Aníkúlápó, premiered in Ikeja, Lagos on Sunday evening ahead of its Netflix release this March.
The event, which was hosted by renowned comedian Gbenga Adeyinka at the five-star Sheraton Hotel in the capital city, was graced by the major cast of the new series as well as other A-list actors and industry professionals. Spotted at the event were lead actors Kunle Remi and Bimbo Ademoye, Aunty Ramota, Gabriel Afolayan, Owo Ogunde, Taiwo Hassan (Ogogo), Sola Sobowale, Yemi Sodimu, Jide Kosoko, Lateef Adedimeji, Femi Adebayo, Moji Afolayan, Adebayo Salami (Oga Bello), Jaiye Kuti, Damilola Ogunsi, Tunde Kelani, among others.
While addressing his guests, the producer and director of the project, Kunle Afolayan, claimed that the six-part series had been in the works for eight years and thanked his cast and crew for believing in the dream.
“Honestly, I can’t wait for you guys to see what we have done on the 1st of March on Netflix,” the filmmaker noted in his speech just before the screening of the film. “What we are going to watch today is episode one and bits and pieces from the other five episodes”.
According to the synopsis, Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre presents traveler Saro in a race against time and to avoid a terrible fate as he returns to Oyo Kingdom to complete a nearly impossible task. The series, rather than being a sequel, is an extended version of the initial 2022 film as it reprises some of its previous cast and includes new faces such as Layi Wasabi, Owobo Ogunde, Titi Kuti, Taiwo Hassan and Funky Mallam.
Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre was shot at the Kunle Afolayan Production (KAP) Film Village in Komu-Igbojaye, Oyo State, bringing together a cast and crew of over 600 people. Exploring themes of love, betrayal, fate, spirituality, power and revenge, the series is destined for a global release on Netflix on March 1, 2024.