Veteran Kola Munis believes Nollywood classics should be left alone, not remade

Veteran Kola Munis believes Nollywood classics should be left alone, not remade

It’s been officially reboot season in Nollywood for some time now.

From Living In Bondage, Nneka the Pretty Serpent, Diamond Ring, Karishika, and now Domitilla as well as Ripples, the industry can’t seem to get enough of remakes.

While some filmmakers support the movement, others like Kola Munis think classics should be left alone as is.

The Nation reports that the Osuofia in London (2003) co-producer and writer strongly opposes the growing trend, stating that a classic loses its significance once it is tampered with.

In his words, “In my personal opinion, I agree that classics should be left as classics; there are so many things that make a movie a classic. It doesn’t have to be a perfect movie or have the latest technology, but the fact that it is a significant work of art in millions of people’s hearts the way it was. When you try to change it in a way, a lot of people who saw the original want it to remain like that.”

To support his stance, Munis referenced a conversation with a foreigner who loves Nollywood classics for their special effects.

According to him, this proves that those movies deserve to be preserved as they are so that more people can enjoy them as the time capsule that they have become.

“You may try and make it look better, but are you really making it look better? Back in the days, when Nollywood was still very young, I had a Jamaican friend that she and her mom were fans of Nollywood, and I was surprised, but she said the reason why she likes Nigerian movies was that she loves the special effects and the cool and primitive way we did special effects. If that applies to many people, then leave the classics the way they are,” he stated.

In addition to the Nollywood classic Osuofia in London, Munis is known for writing, producing, and directing other fan favourites like The Widow (2005), Last Flight to Abuja (2012), and In Case of Incasity (2021). His latest work is the award-winning Crime and Justice Lagos.