Co-founder of Inkblot Productions and renowned movie producer Zulumoke Oyibo has been helping to tell different Nigerian stories through film and television for years—but never once helmed with her own hand—until now, that is.
Oyibo is making her directorial debut with “The Betrayed”, which began principal photography earlier in February and, according to reports, wrapped up filming recently.
The cast is a star-studded ensemble of well-known Nollywood faces, including Adunni Ade, Uche Montana, Gabriel Afolayan, Ibrahim Suleiman, Jemima Osunde, Vine Olugu, and Stephanie Zibili.
Speaking from the set, Zulumoke Oyibo described her debut as a director as the fulfillment of one of her cherished dreams, noting that since her foray into the world of Nollywood and filmmaking, she has guided the storytelling process as an executive producer and visionary, but this project feels special to her as this is a new feat for her.
“Directing ‘The Betrayed’ has been a journey into the heart of human connections, exploring relationships between family, work and friendship with themes of love, loyalty and forgiveness,” said Zulumoke Oyibo. “I have been blessed with a dedicated cast and crew who keyed into the vision and executed brilliantly. I look forward to sharing ‘The Betrayed’ with the world, confident that it will resonate deeply with its audience.”
A former practising lawyer who now possesses more than a decade’s experience as a movie executive and producer before her directorial debut, Oyibo is not new to trying new things. She confessed that her experience as a producer helped her transition to the director role seamlessly.
“Both are very appealing jobs to me, and having been on so many film sets definitely allowed me to communicate better as a director,” Oyibo said. “I wouldn’t say that I prefer one or the other since they are very different. But finally making my directorial bow means a lot to me, and the cast and crew are helping to interpret the script to perfection.”
Information on when the movie is expected to make its cinema debut is yet to be released, but trust us to keep an eye and ear out.