12 Hollywood Movies That Have Showcased Nigeria (Photos)
Here are some movies that have depicted/referenced Nigeria so far. Kindly share your thoughts and let us know of anyone we’ve missed in this list by leaving a comment below:
1. Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: Civil War is a 2016 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Captain America, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
It is the sequel to 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger and 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
A number of Nigerians have reacted to the depiction of Lagos and revealed that it was a cheap imitation of Nigeria’s capital.
2. Sahara
Sahara is a 2005 American–Spanish action-comedy adventure film directed by Breck Eisner that is based on the best-selling book of the same name by Clive Cussler.
It stars Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn and Penélope Cruz.
3. Mister Johnson
Mister Johnson is a 1990 American drama film based on the 1939 novel by Joyce Cary.
The film was entered into the 41st Berlin International Film Festival, where Maynard Eziashi won the Silver Bear for Best Actor.
In 1923 British Colonial Nigeria, Mister Johnson is an oddity — an educated black man who doesn’t really fit in with the natives or the British. He works for the local British magistrate, and considers himself English, though he has never been to England.
He is always scheming, trying to get ahead, which lands him in a lot of hot water.
4. Sanders of the River
Sanders of the River is a 1935 British film directed by the Hungarian-British director, Zoltán Korda, based on the stories of Edgar Wallace. It is set in British Nigeria.
The lead Nigerian characters were played by African-Americans Paul Robeson and Nina Mae McKinney.
5. The Cursed Ones
The Cursed Ones is a 2016 British film that was directed by Nana Obiri Yeboah and produced by Nicholas K. Lory.
The original screenplay was written by Maximilian Claussen.
The film tells the story of a disillusioned reporter and an idealistic young pastor, who fight to free a girl accused of witchcraft from the clutches of a system of corruption and superstition in the heart of West Africa.
6. Tears Of The Sun
Tears of the Sun is a 2003 American action war drama film depicting a U.S. Navy SEAL team rescue mission amidst the civil war in Nigeria. LT A.K.
Waters (Bruce Willis) commands the team sent to rescue U.S. citizen Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks (Monica Bellucci) from the civil war en route to her jungle hospital.
7. Phat Girlz
Jazmin Biltmore is a smart-mouthed, frustrated, plus-sized, aspiring fashion designer and department store employee who is obsessed with her weight.
Jazmin has always been overweight, unlike her skinny, cousin Mia. Jazmin wins a trip to Palm Springs for the weekend at a five-star resort.
She and best friend Stacey find the first day at the spa embarrassing, as hotel robes don’t fit, and the massage table is quite small for their thick figures.
They leave in frustration to join Mia, who has been ogling a Nigerian man swimming in the pool. He introduces himself as Tunde, but Jazmin is shocked, too distracted to remember her own name.
They invite the women out, with Tunde saying he has never seen such beautiful women in America.
One year later, she to travels to Nigeria to apologize to the man she realizes she loves. A woman opens the door holding a baby. Jazmin asks if she is Tunde’s wife, and the woman agrees.
Jazmin has the girls go to the taxi because she does not like to be rejected with an audience. She tells Tunde that he has changed her life, but she won’t be a “homewrecker”.
The film ends with Jazmin and Tunde in bed, while Jazmin insists on having the lights on to see every sexy thing on Tundes body With the credits ending.
8. X-Men – Origins (The Wolverine)
Wolverine is a 2009 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics fictional character Wolverine, distributed by 20th Century Fox.
Towards the beginning of the X-Men Origins (Wolverine), there was a part that the General’s crew went to a place they called Lagos, Nigeria and in the scene there were people with diamonds.
That scene also featured a Nigerian man who spoke the Igbo language flawlessly.
9. Lost (Series)
Mr. Eko Tunde is a fictional character, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje on the ABC television series Lost. He is introduced in the second season episode “Adrift” as one of the plane-crash survivors from the plane’s tail section.
Flashbacks reveal that he became the leader of a gang of guerrillas to save his brother when he still lived in Nigeria. He assumed his brother’s identity and became a priest after his brother was killed in a botched drug smuggle; Eko killed two guerrillas in defense, was ostracized, and left Nigeria to become a priest in Australia.
After investigating the alleged miracle of a girl who came back to life after drowning in Australia in 2004, Eko boarded Oceanic Airlines Flight 815. This plane crashed and left Eko, along with a few other survivors, on a deserted island.
Worthy Mentions (Not necessarily Hollywood movies)
10. Critical Assignment
Although, its not a Hollywood movie but a collaborative, PAN African movie.
Critical Assignment story is based around when the President of an African country decrees that the Arms budget will be diverted in to the “Water For All”, project. The journalist, Michael Power, discovers a Coup set by the arms dealers.
11. The Bourne Identity
The Bourne Identity is a 2002 American-German spy action thriller film adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s novel of the same name. It stars Matt Damon as Jason.
The Bourne Identity – uses Yoruba as the national language of a fictional African country (with Adewale Agbaje as the leader).
12. Sugar Hill
Sugar Hill is a 1974 horror blaxploitation zombie film released by AIP.
Nigerians are portrayed in this movie as ‘yoruba speaking’ drug dealers (best part of the film was where Wesley Snipes asks them what ‘Akata’ meant grin).
Akátá is a word believed to be derived from the Igbo people of Nigeria in West Africa. The term … black Americans, the word is also perceived to be pejorative.
The word was erroneously translated as “cotton picker” in the 1994 film Sugar Hill.
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