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Filmmaker and producer Kunle Afolayan has cast Portuguese movie star Pedro Teixeira and the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in his upcoming film, “Anikulapo: The Ghoul Awakens.”
Afolayan disclosed this while unveiling the thriller for the second season of his epic series, “Anikulapo”, on his Instagram page on Monday.
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The film is scheduled for release on Netflix on 30 January.
The original “Anikulapo” movie premiered on Netflix in September 2022, while the first series, “Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre”, was released in March 2024.
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Teixeira and Ms Dabiri-Erewa were among the newly added cast, alongside Bukunmi “KieKie” Adeaga-Ilori, Teniola Aladese, Antar Laniyan, Joke Muyiwa, Saidi Balogun, Adeoluwa “Saga” Okusaga and Tayo Faniran, among others.
As of press time, the roles Teixeira and Ms Dabiri-Erewa played in the film were unknown. The project marks Dabiri-Erewa’s acting debut, while Teixeira is known for his roles in films such as “Festa é Festa”, “Irregular” and “Destinos Cruzados.”
Returning acts
Returning actors from the first series include Sola Sobowale as Awarun, Bimbo Ademoye as Arolake, Owobo Ogunde as Bashorun, Taiwo Hassan as Alaafin Ademuyiwa, Gabriel Afolayan, Lateef Adedimeji, Ronke Oshodi-Oke, Moji Afolayan, Aisha Lawal, Adebayo Salami, Jide Kosoko, and Eyiyemi Afolayan.
The 51-year-old stated that ‘Anikulapo: The Ghoul Awakens’ was filmed across KAP Film Village and Resort in Oyo State, Nigeria, and in Cape Coast, Ghana.
“Once power is awakened, it demands a price. From Oyo to foreign lands, love is tested, and loyalties are shaken. This season, survival is a real crown, and everything you think you know will be questioned. Anikulapo: The Ghoul Awakens arrives on January 30 on Netflix only”, he wrote.
Afolayan appreciated Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde for his support and for his role in the film’s success.
Plot
The first season centres on Saro, a traveller who, after returning from the afterlife, receives a mystical amulet from the ‘Messenger of Death’ that grants him magical powers.
Despite this gift, Saro becomes entangled in a complicated romance with Arolake, the daughter of a palm wine tapper.
READ ALSO: Kunle Afolayan announces release date for Anikulapo season 2
His distraction from the mission leads the series to explore themes of betrayal, power struggles, and revenge.
“Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre” follows Saro, a weaver with resurrection powers, as he faces new challenges and consequences.
He is tasked with eliminating those he revived and confronts a formidable new antagonist, Bashorun, while grappling with his enduring connection to death and his past actions in the 17th-century Oyo Empire.
Dabiri-Erewa started her career at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
During her 15 years, she anchored the weekly NTA Newsline programme and took a particular interest in poverty and social justice.
She retired from her position at NTA to contest the House of Representatives seat. She won in 2003 and represented Ikorodu Constituency in Lagos State.
She was re-elected in 2007 and 2011 before she was appointed as the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora in 2015.
