After the success of EbonyLife’s ‘Chief Daddy’ in December 2018, which made over N300m at the box office, making it the fourth-highest domestic grossing movie, fans were thrilled to know a sequel was in the works.
Then came Chief Daddy 2, which ushered Nigerians into the new year, as the movie was released on January 1, 2022. But, surprisingly, backlash and negative reviews trailed the release of the much-anticipated movie.
PREMIUM TIMES, in its review, described the movie as an unnecessary sequel that leaves viewers utterly confused and angry.
However, on Friday, a celebrated Nollywood filmmaker, Niyi Akinmolayan, blamed American subscription streaming service and production company, Netflix, for the apparent flops of Chief Daddy 2.
The 39-year-old filmmaker revealed this in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr Akinmolayan, who described ‘Chief Daddy’ as his “baby”, directed part 1 and the sequel.
He said: “The question everybody needs to ask is, is Chief Daddy 2 a Niyi Akinmolayan film or a Netflix film? When you look at the film, you will see that it is a Netflix film.
“So, the way Chief Daddy 2 was structured did not exactly give creative power to many people behind it. In cases like this, the director’s (my) hands were tied.”
“When a streamer fully drives a film, there is very little a director can do, but Chief Daddy is my baby. I was very involved in the first instalment, and I was hardly involved in the second one.”
Mr Akinmolayan is best known for directing the highest-grossing Nigerian film, The Wedding Party 2, which starred Banky Wellington, Adesua Etomi and Enyinna Nwigwe; it was a sequel to the equally successful film The Wedding Party.
Some of his recent works are King of Thieves (2022), ‘The Man for the Job’ (2022), ‘Progressive Tailor’s Association’ (2021), ‘My Village people’ (2021), Prophetess (2021), and ‘Elevator Baby‘ (2019).
Audience reaction
Disappointed, as the movie falls short of everything the audience anticipated, Nigerians took to Twitter with countless negative feedback, forcing Ms Abudu and her team to restrict comments on their social media pages.
It was the first time in history that Nigerians would speak in one voice and condemn a Nollywood film in its entirety.
Speaking on the negative reviews that trailed Chief Daddy 2, Mr Akinmolayan said that no matter how much is spent making a film, the audience reception is the hallmark of a film.
He said: “The audience response makes a good movie. You can never know if you have made a good movie until an audience watches it. You could get caught up thinking I have written something nice or shot something great, but the audience’s reaction is the true test of a great movie”.
“As a producer or director, if you are working backwards, thinking of what makes a great movie, you might shoot yourself in the foot. So what I always say is that follow your heart, be very true to yourself and the story you are trying to tell and always test with an audience. That is why the cinema is important.”
Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility
Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.
For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.
By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.
TEXT AD: Why women cheat: what every Nigerian man should know
