The Nation Newspaper

Category: Entertainment

  • Toyin Subair on the verge of second chance

    Toyin Subair on the verge of second chance

    The name Toyin Subair brings back memories of the fast-talking owner of the defunct HiTv. Before his self-induced exile, he was the toast of many A-list events around the country. He was always invited to give speeches on account of his status as the chairman/managing director of Hi Media Ltd, the parent company of HiTv satellite television.

    With a fleet of cars, including a convertible Porche Carrera 911, an elegant apartment in Ikoyi that cost millions of naira annually, expensive hotel bills and designer labelled outfits, Subair was no doubt one of the most flamboyant Nigerian socialites that ever lived. It, therefore, did not come as a surprise to many that his business was eventually taken over by creditors.

    After long years of media absence, he was recently sighted at the celebration of Nigeria’s centenary sponsored by the Kola Aluko Foundation in London recently. When Toyin strolled into the event, it was obvious that he had lost the air of opulence around him. But he still managed to attract the attention of others at the event.

    He was said to have run into financial difficulties after the ill-fate that befell his company. But his budding relationship with billionaire businessman, Kola Aluko, seems to have offered him a second chance.

  • Georgina Onuoha accepts responsibility for failed marriage

    REMEMBER the Emotional Tears star actress, Georgina Onuoha, who got married and went off movie sets? She’s not only back on set after 10 years but she has opened up on her crashed marriage, after four years of keeping silent about it.

    The actress took to her Facebook page to pour out her heart.

    “It has taken almost four years to do this; it’s taken a lot of soul searching, prayers and counselling to get to this juncture. It’s not a breaking news that my almost a decade relationship is over. While I do this with highest respect for my kids, family and friends, I also do owe you, my fans, my sincere gratitude for your support and prayers. A lot has been put out there on the internet about my marriage. I crave your indulgence to please pray for my family.”

    Georgina, who before her hiatus, was one of the hottest Nollywood actresses, said she and her husband are still good friends.

    “We remain good friends and great parents to our two lovely daughters. We will do our best to give them the best life has to offer.”

    Not one known for scandals, the once prominent actress quietly bowed out of Nollywood when she got married and has since been living in the US. However, the mother of two is presently on a movie set in the US after a decade absence.

  • Obayuwana, Lawani’s bond waxes Stronger

    Calling them soul mates can hardly capture the bond between John Obayuwana and Ene Maya Lawani. Like Siamese twins, the two lovers have remained inseparable for quite a while. Not even the wide gap in their ages has threatened their romance in any way. Each time you see them, they coo into each other’s ears, sharing private jokes and looking lovingly into each other’s eyes as if to tell the world that their love has nothing to do with financial benefits.

    John Obayuwana is the MD/CEO of Polo Ltd, a growing luxury conglomerate, CAT Construction and a couple of other brands. Ene Lawani, on the other hand, is a former Miss Nigeria who enjoyed the unique privilege of reigning for six years. She owns an accessories company based in Surulere, Lagos, and is doing financially well on her own.

    In the last few years, Obayuwana, a luxury goods merchant, and Enemaya Lawani have been an item, even though they are yet to put a definition to their newly revived closeness. Their romance seems to wax stronger with time. Their attraction for each other was obvious at a recent event in Lagos where John could not keep his hands to himself.

    Like lovesick teenagers, they were all over each other and were simply inseparable. It is undisputable she and John enjoy a perfect chemistry as lovers.

  • Overseas wedding for Segun Demuren’s son

    The trend these days is that once the wedding bell begins to ring in the homes of prominent Nigerians, friends and acquaintances pack their bags for overseas trip. It is getting increasingly out of vogue for well-to-do Nigerians to host the nuptial union of their wards within the shores of the nation.

    On January 17, celebrities stormed Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for the fairy tale wedding of Michael, son of the CEO of Evergreen Apple, Segun Demuren. Glamour and sophistication were on parade as Michael got married to his heartthrob, Samantha.

    A-list Nigerians made the wedding a memorable one for the couple as they dined and wined with the lovebirds, sending them off into marital bliss with luxurious gifts. Toolz and Banky W were among the top celebrities that graced the classy shindig.

  • Uduaghan becomes granddad

    Uduaghan becomes granddad

    In addition to being the Sillverbird Man of the Year 2014, Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduagan, is relishing the birth of a new grandchild. His daughter, Orode, and her hubby, Ryan Okpu, welcomed their second baby in the US in the early hours of January 14, 2015.

    The union, which had already produced a girl, had occurred in Warri, Delta State, in 2011. Since the fairytale wedding, which was graced by dignitaries from all walks of life, Warri has not witnessed such glamour and convergence of moneybags. It comes as no surprise that their union has blossomed after it was sanctified with intercessory prayers by Nigeria’s most successful men.

    Orode Ryan-Okpu is not only known for her success as a wife and a mother, the founder of Pink Pearl Foundation personifies courage and compassion. Her foundation has helped to treat hundreds of women diagnosed with cancer and provide awareness and various forms of support to women living with cancer.

  • Kunle Afolayan’s October 1 gets Netflix deal

    Kunle Afolayan’s October 1 gets Netflix deal

    …..Begins festival circuit

    These are exciting times for award-winning Nollywood filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, who is breaking new grounds with his movie, October 1. Only last weekend, he received the Nollywood Man of the Year diadem, given by organisers of The Sun Awards, but the movie director, who has his hands full with several movie-related projects, says this is just the beginning.

    In an interview with The Nation, he revealed that his latest flick, October 1, has bagged a distribution deal with Netflix, one of the biggest global online distribution platforms.

    Making the revelation in his Ikeja office, an excited Afolayan said: “I am happy and delighted to announce that October 1 has gotten a deal with Netflix. Netflix covers the whole of Europe and America. That means the film will be exposed to the word. It is a distribution deal. Netflix is an SVOD platform, an online platform that you can watch on your television. Their application is everywhere. They are one of the most recognised SVOD platforms around the word.”

    He also added that with the new deal, the movie will be subtitled in 10 different languages. Afolayan further revealed that October 1, has also been selected in some major film festivals around the world, with some international premieres in view.

    “It is going to the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles which I should be attending in the first week of February. It has also been selected for the Luxor Film Festival in Egypt. I am also going to be attending that,” he said.

    It will be recalled that the film, a psychological thriller, featuring veteran broadcaster, Sadiq Daba, actress Kehinde Bankole, Ademola Adedoyin and Kunle Afolayan himself, received 13 nominations, the biggest in this year’s edition of Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). The nominations include top categories such as Best Movie (Drama), Best Movie of 2014, Best Art Director, Best Actress and Best Cinematographer.

    The film also came tops at the last edition of Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), having won Best Feature Film, Best Actor and Best Screen Play laurels.

    The sky is the limit for the filmmaker, who is already in pre-production stage for his next movie, which he said is another thriller, a contemporary film with a lot of commercial appeal.

    “There is another series I am about to do, and it will be in partnership with the Lagos campus of the Nigerian Law School. We are going to reveal this officially when the time comes. It is going to be something that is very big. We will be taking court cases in Nigeria and converting them to stories. It is a law and order and crime kind of production,” he revealed.

     

  • American Sniper springs box-office surprise

    American Sniper springs box-office surprise

    After nabbing six Oscar nominations on Thursday, Clint Eastwood’s record-breaking American Sniper has been predicted for a record score of $100M debut, as the film continues to astound at the North American box office, where it earned an estimated $90.2 million for the three-day weekend. The film is said to have made double, what it was expected to do.

    That’s the largest opening of all time for the month of January, as well as one of the top grosses ever for an average budget film and an R-rated modern-day war film. The film is playing in 3,555 locations.

    Earning a coveted A+ Cinema Score in every category, the film which was directed by Clint Eastwood and released on January 16, is said to be galvanising moviegoers in the United States.

    Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow are said to have partnered on American Sniper, a film based on the real-life story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and set over the course of the war in Iraq. Among the film’s Oscar nominations are Best Picture and Best Actor (Bradley Cooper).

    American Sniper first debuted Christmas Day, in four theaters in Los Angeles, New York and Dallas (Kyle was from Texas). The $60 million movie, earning nearly $4 million in its limited run, continues to be unique in appealing to both art house audiences as well as more politically conservative moviegoers.

    To date, Gran Torino ($29.5 million) is Eastwood’s top opening as a director, while Kevin Hart’s Ride Along, released a year ago on the same weekend, boasts the top opening for January with a three-day debut of $41.5 million. Its four-day take was $48.6 million.

    Once again taking advantage of the MLK holiday, Hart returns to theaters this weekend in The Wedding Ringer, from Screen Gems. In an unexpected development, the R-rated comedy is finding itself in a close race with family film Paddington for the No. 2 spot over the four-day MLK weekend (Sniper is no doubt taking adults away from Hart’s movie).

    Going by pundits’ prediction, Wedding Ringer should beat Paddington for the three-day weekend with an estimated $20 million-plus from 3,003 theaters for a projected four day debut of $24 million, the best showing for an R-rated comedy opening in January. However, it won’t match the $27.8 million debut of Hart’s About Last Night over Valentine’s Day and President Day weekend in February 2014. That movie was likewise rated R, while Ride Along was rated PG-13.

    Ava DuVernay’s Selma, heading into its second weekend in nationwide release, is another Oscar contender hoping for a box-office bump. It also hopes to benefit from the MLK holiday.

    Selma, which stars Nigerian-British actor, David Oyelowo, is poised to come in No. 5 over the holiday weekend with a four-day gross in the $10 million range from 2,235 theaters, bringing its domestic total north of $27 million through Monday.

  • NAFDAC backs ‘Arise Monalisa Foundation’

    NAFDAC backs ‘Arise Monalisa Foundation’

    The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has entered into a partnership deal with ‘Arise Monalisa Foundation’ (AMF), to help fight Uterine Fibroid, prevalent among women in Nigeria.

    Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony in Abuja, founder of AMF, notable actress, Monalisa Chinda, said, “…We appreciate NAFDAC for this strategic partnership, as we look forward to propagating awareness of this fast spreading, yet widely neglected Uterine Fibroid, which has become very common among women, due to ignorance and stigmatisation.”

    Meanwhile, the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, expressed joy at partnering with AMF while announcing that the project marks the beginning of NAFDAC’s activities for 2015. “We are proud to partner with the Arise Monalisa Foundation in mobilising this timely project throughout the six geo-political zones in Nigeria, and this also marks the flag-off of our projects for this year.”

    Chinda’s charity project has been on for over eight years, supporting major campaigns against autism, funding education for the less privileged, making charitable visits to orphanages and prisons, among others.

    Established in 1993,  NAFDAC is saddled with the  responsibility of  regulating and controlling the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sales and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical services, chemicals and packaged water.

  • Patoranking’s album debuts April

    Patoranking’s album debuts April

    Rave-of-the-moment dance hall sensation, Patoranking, is in the United States of America to shoot two videos, as part of the preparations for the release of his much-anticipated debut album.

    Although, he is yet to disclose the title of the album, the ‘Alubarika’ crooner, is shooting the video of his latest single, ‘Daniala Wine’, a track produced by UC Prof and slick Mo, as well as  a yet-to-be-decided track.

    According to a source from the musician’s camp,  “This trip will see him shoot the video of ‘Daniela Wind’ and another track that the team will decide on while in America, as we speak, arrangement for his first album is in the concluding stage.”

    Apart from top stars already featured in the songs of the Raggae artiste such as Tiwa Savage and Timaya, Patoranking will also have 2Face, Iyanya and other heavy weights as guest artistes in the forthcoming album.

    Patoranking, we gathered, will also officially launch his clothing line, ‘Wayase’, as he launches his album.

  • More artistes in campaign frenzy

    More artistes in campaign frenzy

    • K1 donates to APC

    With the 2015 general elections a few weeks away, more and more artistes are throwing their support behind their candidates of choice. Joining the league of supporters who have chosen not to be apolitical are a group of top Yoruba actors under the aegis of Unique Charitable Foundation.

    The artistes recently stepped out to show their support for APC Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari and the Governorship candidate for Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode.

    The actors; Fathia Balogun, Sanyeri, Adebayo Tijani, Muyiwa Ademola and Femi Adebayo were seen brandishing the Broom, a symbol of the APC party.

    Muyiwa Demola shared some of the photos on Instagram with the caption; “UCF for Ambode and Buhari 2015 – Change, the only constant thing in human life.”

    The actors are also said to have joined Fuji legend, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde (K1 The Ultimate) in a new campaign song for Buhari and Ambode, according to information.

    In furtherance of his support for the APC, K1, was the cynosure of all eyes, as he donated some Public Address Systems to each of the 377 Wards in the 57 Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) of Lagos State. Also, 300,000 wristbands with the imprints of Gen. Buhari and Ambode were freely distributed. The event took place at the APC Secretariat, ACME Road, Lagos, amidst a great ceremony.

    Only last week, a couple of Nigerian artistes were drumming support  for Ambode to become the next Governor of Lagos State.

    The artistes are Ice Prince, M.I, Olamide, Banky W, Yemi Alade, Dammy Krane – Gbabe.

    To this end, the entertainers have recorded two theme songs to shore up support for the political campaign of the APC gubernatorial candidate.

    Titled Gbabe, and Gbo Gbo Wa La Leko, the songs call on the entire people of Lagos State to turn out to support the candidacy of Ambode, whom they constantly refer to as Ambo. While Gbabe features Ice Prince, M.I, Olamide, Banky W, Yemi Alade, and Dammy Krane, the track Gbo Gbo Wa La Leko was rendered solely by Yemi Alade.