Kaduna’s favourite filmmakers are set to debut a fantastical spectacle called ‘War is Coming’ – produced by Hollywood icon Morgan Freeman – which might just propel the gifted collective to global stardom.
By Maryam Abdullahi
Morgan Freeman and his producing partner Lori McCreary have produced ‘War Is Coming’, a short film from the Nigerian filmmaking collective called The Critics Company. Freeman and McCreary are producing through their Revelations Entertainment production banner.
‘War Is Coming’ follows the story of Óla, a brash teenager who discovers he is the reincarnation of a demigod, and spirals into his destiny, unprepared for the events that come as a result of this discovery.
The film will debut at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art’s +234 Connect Festival: A Celebration of Nigerian Creativity. It will also be released simultaneously via The Critics Company’s popular YouTube channel.
McCreary also said the Smithsonian’s National Museum was a natural way to premiere the film and introduce the world to the uniquely talented filmmakers in person.
A proof-of-concept of the same film was screened for a limited audience at the recently-concluded Kaduna Book and Arts Festival (KABAFest), in the hometown of The Critics Company, to roaring applause and a standing ovation.
The Critics Company is based in Kaduna, Nigeria. Formed in 2015, they have been driven by the desire to create “magical experiences” through film for themselves and their community as a whole. Their work has been featured on platforms including the BBC, CNN, Reuters, Al-Jazeera, and the Indie Film Festival. Ranging in age from 17 through 21 years old, they became social media sensations following the 2019 release of their sci-fi short ‘The Chase’, which was created using their mobile phones. From working on the set of ‘King of Boys’ and critically-acclaimed ‘Juju Stories’, to their own personal projects, The Critics Company is a collective to watch closely.
