Kunle Afoloyan’s KAP Motion Pictures and Golden Effect Pictures recently premiered a Netflix original series, Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre. Fans around the world have been super hyped since the trailer was released and we are here to let you know what you can expect from the show,

Before we delve right in, how about a quick recap of the original movie?

Anikulapo is a 17th-century film set in the Old Oyo Empire, narrating the story of an aspiring cloth weaver named Saro who arrives in the kingdom at the turn of a festival. He becomes wealthy by playing the gigolo for a wealthy businesswoman named Awarun, who generously funds his cloth-weaving business.

Saro’s skill in cloth weaving leads him to the palace, where his untimely death begins. During a visit, Saro attracts the attention of Queen Arolake. The King orders Saro to be beaten and left for dead in an evil forest.

The opening scene begins with a mythical bird (Akala) bringing the dead back to life. Queen Arolake, who had slept in the forest, smashes the bird with a log, gaining the mysterious gourd used to bring Saro back to life. 

Eventually, Saro became corrupted by power, took on additional wives, and neglected his original wife, Arolake.

What do we know about the series?

Here’s what we know about the movie series so far:

It’s a 6-part Netflix original series written by Sola Dada, responsible for the critically acclaimed movie that won an AMVCA. The theme of the series is reincarnation, as it takes the viewers on a journey to see how our souls and spirits are connected through multiple incarnations.

From the trailer, we see Saro at Heaven’s Gate begging for mercy for more time on earth and the community under the plague of curses while Arolake has become a fugitive.

The new series has a lot of cast members from the previous movie, like Kunle Remi and Bimbo Ademoye, but also many new cast members, like Adedimeji Lateef and skit maker Layi Wasabi. It is believed that 600 cast members and crew participated in the series.

Adedimeji Lateef plays a prominent role in the series with his love interest. We are unsure what he means to the general outcome of the movie. It will be interesting to see how the sequel is spun. Gabriel Afolayan also plays a very critical role. We see anticipate war, spooky creatures, and as expected, Saro back to his Philandering antics,

Anikulapo: Rise of The Spectre is primed for a global and exclusive Netflix release on March 1, 2024, and viewers the world over will get to return to the intriguing and spectacular world of Saro and Arolake.

The show was shot on location at KAP Film Village and Resort in Igbojaiye, Oyo State, Nigeria.