Thursday, March 28, 2024

‘76 breaks DStv box office record

The movie, ’76, has been retained by DStv Box Office based on popular demand, a feat yet to be equaled by any other film, Nigerian or foreign.

Co-producer of the movie, Izu Ojukwu, said that the Nigerian historical drama was the highest grossing in the history of Nigerian movies.

“Apart from the over $2million dollars deal for sale and distribution across Africa, the DStv Box Office has also requested that the movie be retained by popular demand.

Also, it’s still till date the movie with the fairest negotiation with the distributors and exhibitors, who demanded 60 per cent of the movie proceeds while the producer gets 40 per cent at the cinema for the first week of showing. It gradually shrinks from 40 to 30 per cent for the producer if the movie remains at the cinema at subsequent weeks.”

He also stated that the film was the first in Africa to sign a whopping $10million deal with Hollywood for sale and distribution across the world, except Africa where the right had been secured.

A look into the movie – six years after the civil war, a young officer from the Middle Belt gets into a romantic relationship with an O-level student from the Southeastern region.

However, their relationship is threatened by constant military postings.The soldier is later accused of being involved in the 1976 unsuccessful military coup and assassination of General Murtala Mohammed. And the heavily pregnant wife gets entangled in an emotional dilemma.

The Point learnt that the historical account in ‘76 went through a sevenmonth approval period at the Nigerian Military before filming started. The film, which is set in the ‘70s, was shot in Ibadan, Oyo. The film was in production for five years before its release last year

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