Producer and actor Muyiwa Ademola has breathed new life into his 2004 award-winning masterpiece, “Ori,” by reimagining it for a modern audience.
Ademola said he remade his iconic film “Ori” after over two decades due to its lasting impact and constant fan demand.
The original film, released in 2004, was a massive success, earning multiple national and international accolades, including the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for Best Indigenous Movie.
Speaking in an interview on TVC news, Muyiwa said, the movie also marked a significant milestone in his career, taking him on his first trip outside Nigeria.
Ademola has mentioned the film’s legacy and fan demand played a significant role in his decision to revisit and remake it.
He wanted to immortalise the film and leave a lasting legacy, which led to the creation of “Ori: The Rebirth”.
This new version aims to bring a contemporary twist to the original story, captivating both old fans and new audiences alike.
He said: “As a producer, there is always that one film that after you do it, you notice things changing for the better, and that is what happened to the film ‘Ori,’ which was shot in 2003 and released in 2004.
“It was massive; it was the movie that took me out of the country for the first time, and won several awards, including AMAA awards for the ‘Best Indigenous Movie.’ So it brought a lot of beautiful things.
“Also, every time I step out of my house, people ask me to do something about ‘Ori’. Then I tried to make a stage play and write a book but discovered people don’t read anymore; I just had a lot of ideas.
“But when it clocked 20 years, I thought of immortalising the film and something that would outlive me.
“So, in 2023 we shot ‘Ori The Rebirth’ rebirth. It was the things that came with the first ‘Ori’ that inspired me to do something about it and now it has been done”.
According to him, he funded the project himself, borrowing from friends and family to bring his vision to life.
He said: “When I started filming ‘Ori: The Rebirth’, I put everything I had into it, borrowing from friends and family because I’m the executive producer. I raised all the money myself because I didn’t want anyone to call me out if it failed.
“In my home, we had to reduce some spendings but my wife and children were supportive.
“There is also a plane crash scene in the film so because I wanted it to be real, we built a while private jet from the the scratch.”
The film features a talented cast, including Sola Sobowale, Lateef Adedimeji, Omowunmi Dada, Odunlade Adekola, and Toyin Abraham.