Three major international production companies have allied to achieve a goal not only in Nigeria but across West African countries. Idris Elba’s 22Summers, Moses Babatope’s Nile Media Entertainment Group, and Chee Keong Cheung‘s Action Xtreme have announced a production partnership to develop a slate of action films originating from West Africa.
The announcement builds on the first-look agreement signed by Action Xtreme and Nile in September 2025, which produced Son of the Soil, an action thriller set in Lagos, directed by Cheung and starring Razaaq Adoti. Nile Entertainment will handle all distribution, just like they handled Son of the Soil of the movies produced in Africa.
The partners view this venture not only as a film production but also as an effort to establish a long-term framework for action genre filmmaking on the continent. They aim to combine production with training and mentorship programs for local creatives.
Chee Keong Cheung will direct the first film and serve as a producer for Action Xtreme, while Babatope will produce for Nile Motion Pictures. Elba, along with Gina Carter, the creative director of 22Summers, will take on the role of executive producer. Additionally, Elba is scheduled to direct one of the films in this collaboration.
Cheung believes that:
Production is the catalyst, and making the film in Nigeria has made him appreciate the depth of talents and stories on the continent, deserving a global stage
Elba said today:
The journey continues, strengthening the African film industry is about collaboration and shared perspectives. I am fortunate to have these partners (Action Xtreme And Nile) and aim to have global success with this slate. Success breeds data and data breeds investment.”
Moses Babatope, Group CEO of The Nile Media Entertainment Group, added:
This partnership represents a significant step in our vision of building globally competitive African cinema. Action is one of the world’s most commercially powerful genres, yet Africa remains largely underrepresented in that space despite the incredible stories, talent, and creative energy that exist across the continent.”
One of the main objectives of the partnership is to establish a sustainable pipeline for African action content that can reach global theatrical and streaming audiences. This collaboration will enable numerous African stories to reach the global stage more easily.
