COLORSxSTUDIOS

In the late 90s and early 2000s, cinema visits in Nigeria slowly decreased as direct-to-tv releases became popular across the country. Cheap to make and featuring didactic undertones, these films were often criticized for their shoddy acting, predictable endings, and recycled storylines following formerly modest girls coming to sticky ends—anything from death to their sugar-daddies freezing their assets—as a result of being exposed to hedonistic lifestyles.

Despite all these factors, at the time these films were considered entertaining and, on many levels, relatable. “Old Nollywood was authentic to the Nigerian experience,” says Dika Ofoma, a writer who covers the topic for publications including Dazed and Popsugar. “I know relatability is relative, but the old Nollywood films were very reflective of life for a large percentage of Nigerians. That’s why they were loved and watched.”

Now, in 2022, these films are lauded as being part of “the golden age” of the Nigerian film industry, laying the foundations for Nollywood as we know it today. They are also remembered fondly for their unique fashion statements, unintentionally funny scenes, and for creating some of the most iconic words and phrases—such as “you stink with poverty”  from the 2006 movie Girls Cot—that are now etched into Nigeria’s pop culture history. Now, they are currently being referenced and recreated across the internet.

“We were raised on these movies as kids,” says Tochi Anueyiagu, who co-founded @nolly.babes along with her sister Ebele. During their childhood in the U.S., watching Nollywood films was one of the main ways the sisters connected with their Nigerian heritage. “When we visited Nigeria we would stockpile CDs. Then, one day, we decided we wanted to share our love for Nollywood, and for the women of old Nollywood in particular. We wanted people to bask in their beauty and energy with us,” she adds, describing how female characters in the films were often shamed or vilified for being sexually liberated or displaying autonomy in the hyper-religious context of 2000s Nigeria.

Tochi and Ebele posted their first photo on the @nolly.babes Instagram in December 2017: a still taken from the 2004 film Sharon Stone In Abuja. Since then, the sisters have accrued 70K followers on Instagram and 109K on TikTok, becoming one of the most influential players in the resurgence of old Nollywood.

This resurgence has had its impact felt across the board in various facets of Nigerian pop culture. Many old Nollywood themed parties, for example, have emerged across the country and the diaspora, including a 2019 party by the @nolly.babes co-founders which was considered the first of its kind.

For many industry critics, it seems this new era of retrospective reboots is a natural progression for the Nigerian movie industry. “It was bound to happen,” says Ofoma. “As evident from the name, Nollywood models itself after Hollywood. Hollywood films are remade. It was just a matter of time before Nollywood began to replicate that. The critical and commercial success of Living in Bondage’s reboot proved that the Nigerian audience is hungry for such stories. They just want them to be made well with higher production value.”

For others, the rise of reboots is powered by the same thing that has powered the overall surge of old Nollywood—nostalgia. As Nigeria experiences some of its worst financial crises, daily reports of terrorism, and rising rates of police brutality, it is unsurprising that people are falling back on tried and tested favorites to escape the challenges of reality. “I think that we have seen all over the world that nostalgia is a potent currency when reaching for escapism,” says film journalist and writer Wilfred Okichie. “Viewers love familiarity when consuming content, so remakes will always be popular. These stories point to what people embraced about Nollywood in the first place. For some, they also recall enduring memories and better times.”