Amazon Prime Video has entered into a licensing deal with Anthill studios – a film content production company based in Lagos, Nigeria, according to the company.
The deal was announced over the weekend as another major breakthrough, cementing the company’s entry into Nigeria film industry for good.
The deal with Anthills is the company’s second such agreement in many months, following its agreement with Inkblot Studios, the production firm behind The Wedding Party.
The reason for the deal could be linked to the official Instagram handle of Anhill Studios, which reads: “We are super excited to announce to the world that AnthillStudios has officially signed a multi-year licensing deal with Amazon Prime Video. Prime Video will have exclusive worldwide distribution rights to Anthill’s slate of theatrical releases, starting in 2022, which will be made available to an audience of more than 200 million Prime Video members worldwide following their cinema run in Nigeria!.”
The multi-year agreement gives Amazon an exclusive right to the worldwide distribution of Anthill Studio’s forthcoming releases.
‘We want to showcase the very best of Nollywood and authentic African stories to our customers, and this groundbreaking deal helps us to achieve that goal.
‘We are very excited to bring Anthill’s upcoming slates of popular Nollywood movies to Prime Video customers around the world,’ said Ayanna Lonian, director of content acquisition and head of worldwide major studio licensing strategy.
The licensing deal comes on the heels of Amazons recent deal with Inkblot Studios, the production company that birthed The WeddingParty. It goes without saying that the world is beginning to recognize Nigeria as a market rife with rich art, talented producers, and voracious consumers of all forms of art, especially the visual and audiovisual arts.
Niyi Akinmolayan, whose film The Progressive Tailors Club was awarded as Film of The Year at the just concluded Enjoy Nigeria Expo 2021, expressed his excitement and future creative plans regarding the deal.
The talented producer is very optimistic that the new platform will afford its creative products a wider global audience and followership, and also a sustained appreciation from film enthusiasts all over the world.
‘This is why Amazon Prime Video is the right kind of home for our stories… I am really excited because with this licensing deal, we can explore more story ideas, including genres new to Nollywood, like sci-fi and animation, for a global audience,’ he said.
Niyi is the founder and creative director of Anthill studios, a Lagos-based film production and post-production studio with one of the biggest animation studio in Africa. Some of their notable works include Prophetess, Day of Destiny, and Elevator Baby.
