Segun’s Crystal Ball: 8 Things That Will DEFINITELY Happen In Nollywood In 2018

BY ‘SEGUN ODEJIMI

Happy new year lovely people! Hope you had an amazing 2017. Don’t worry too much, 2018 will be better.

It’s that time when everyone makes predictions, promises to stop procrastinating and also talks about resolutions. So, I am getting in on the action by predicting 8 things that I can bet my left eyeball on to happen in Nollywood in 2018.

1. The Wedding Party 2 will make ONE BILLION NAIRA in cinemas. I believe the second in the many installments of the wedding franchise will make double the amount of money The Wedding Party made. But, you know, we might need a little help here. FilmOne might have to keep the film in cinemas until around June. I’m counting on you guys. My prediction must come to pass.

2. Lai Mohammed to say something more ridiculous than he’s ever said. Our Dear uncle Lai Mohammed has developed a reputation for ridiculous statements or pronouncements. Just like the government he is working in, Sir Lai is outdoing himself each time he attempts to show us his incompetent side. Put all your money on his saying something utterly stupid this year.

3. We won’t (shouldn’t) hear much from Omotola. After that disaster of a film christened Alter Ego which she headlined in 2017, I fully expect Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde to return to her motivational and speaking sturvs. If Alter Ego was supposed to be a “comeback” film, it was more of a crash than a safe landing.

4. No Nigerian film will make the Oscars shortlist. As long as films like The Wedding Party keep making many filmmakers think it’s all about the money, Oscar nomination is far from Nollywood.

5. Bankers NGR to finally be released. After what has seemed like a lifetime of making, those of you who have been waiting to see Mildred Okwo’s Bankers NGR will get your wish this year. If you don’t, don’t mock my predictions. Go and hold the producer. Thanks.

6. A genius to make a film as bad as Celebrity Marriage. Prepare yourselves great people to see a film as bad as Celebrity Marriage. That film, in my books, was comfortably the worst Nollywood film I saw in 2017. It was a film in which something as serious as domestic violence was trivialised. And to think that Tonto Dikeh, who alleged she was violently abused by her ex-husband, featured prominently in it. SMH!

7. Charles Novia to Charles Novia in 2018. Quite surprisingly, Charles Novia did not Charles Novia a lot in 2017. This was unlike what I predicted. So, let me just carry over that prediction to 2018. Charles Novia will Charles Novia this year. Don’t worry, just wait and see.

8. AMVCA to not hold, AMAA to still be a shambles and Nollywood stars to not attend AFRIFF until the gala night. Our favourite popularity contest, AMVCA will not hold this year. The organisers will offer an apology about not having money… just joking… they will say something less ridiculous. AMAA will still be AMAA where power goes out during the televised show for over ten minutes. And our Nollywood stars will wait for the cameras and red carpet before attending AFRIFF.