After years of skepticism Mary Remy Njoku has decided to jump on the Box Office Crew and her first baby is Osato. Really excited for this one, because Rok Tv has been dishing out Nollywood film Delicacies for ages now and this is no different we can say this is even better from all indications
“Osato” distinguishes out among the 10 Nollywood titles set for a Detty December release as a title from a veteran Nollywood performer Mary Njoku, who has been skeptical of the exhibition business.
Everyone in 2023 is wondering, “What has changed?” Why is ROK Studios going all out to promote a huge film for theaters?
Is this a test to determine if the Nigerian theatrical income channel is now sustainable, an effort to strengthen its sagging local brand, or the start of a play for ROK pictures to land on streamers who are now constantly paying top price for cinema-tested titles – For the time being, nothing is certain.
However, one thing is certain: this move is not random, and what occurs after “Osato” is released will give additional light on this erratic release approach.
ROK Studios, founded by Mary Remmy Njoku, has produced over 2,500 hours of content that has been dubbed into various languages and shown on cable networks both within and outside of Africa.
Canal+, a French television broadcaster, purchased the ROK film studio from VOD firm IROKOtv in 2019 for an undisclosed sum. The agreement brought massive financing, improved resources, and potential to enter new markets through the studio, all under the same leadership but different owners.
ROK studio’s business strategy has thrived in scale from its beginning, generating low- to mid-budget entertainment for its primary digital/TV viewers. Its distribution partner, iROKO TV, quickly became a fertile place for fresh performing talent, filmmakers discovering their voice, and, curiously, an active actor-producer pipeline.
All of this has greatly contributed to the expansion of Nollywood that we have today, as well as the rise of new talents and distribution channels, all from domestically produced titles.
Osato, produced by ROK starring Big Brother Winner Josephine “Phyna” Otabor, opens in theaters on December 8th, and we can’t wait to see the box office figures from the prolific company. And expectations are high on this one!
