Canal+ has a new partnership with Flying Whale, a Nigerian production company that operates as a label within Anakle Films. This collaboration was revealed at this year’s NollywoodWeek Paris and involves a lineup of ten made-for-television films. The partnership is part of the French company’s effort to expand its African content strategy after acquiring Multichoice.
The companies agreed to produce ten television films with modest budgets, necessitating a production model different from Anakle’s. Four films have already been completed and delivered under the partnership.
At the NollywoodWeek in Paris, the film Hope for Every Day, produced under the agreement with Canal+’s ROK Studios, was screened before its television premiere. The Drama, which has a social impact because of its story being centered on HIV awareness, stars Kayode Ojulape Jr., Femi Jacobs, Wunmi Tuase-Fosudo, Ego Ihenacho, and Ariyiike Owolagba, and is scheduled for debut on a Canal+ Nollywood-focused television channel later this year.
The collaboration, according to executives from both companies, originated at FAME Week Africa in Cape Town, where Canal+ executives approached Anakle after watching The Black Book. The 2023 thriller produced by Anakle Films became one of Netflix’s most-watched African originals and is currently in development for a sequel.
Canal+ Director Of Programming African Fiction Channels Said:
I asked him if he could work on a budget, probably ten times or even twenty times lower than Netflix. He probably laughed the first time, but then we seriously discussed the possibility of working together. We managed to find the sweet spot, and he agreed to produce.
The Canal+ slate contributes to Anakle’s expanding portfolio of film production work. They have co-produced several projects, including Up North, the Set Up franchise, Day of Destiny, and The Black Book. Additionally, they have announced The Black Book 2, with Nicholas Weinstock attached as the producer.
By bridging global networks with local talent, Effiong’s Anakle Films continues to redefine what Nigerian cinema can achieve. Partnerships like this continue to build up Nigeria’s presence on the global stage.
