Netflix and Showmax chase growth in Africa’s 215 million homes

Dec 10, 2020|Abubakar Idris

The Nollywood franchise, Living in Bondage, a three-part film, has gone full circle with how Nigerians consume movies. A horror film with a plot focused on wealth acquired through the ritual killings of loved ones; the first two movies were released in 1992 and 1993. Both movies didn't go to the cinemas, though. At the time, the cinema culture was dying as the economy suffered a decline.

Ken Nnebue, who produced the first two Living in Bondage films, opted for a different route: direct-to-home, selling the movie in a format playable on a household's videocassette recorder (VCR).

It was a massive success turning the star actors into household names. A 15-year boom for the local film industry started, with video rental clubs sprouting across popular neighbourhoods.

Twenty-six years later, the third instalment in the franchise, Living in Bondage: Breaking Free was released in a different environment. By 2019, video clubs

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