Mo Abudu Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Jaden Thompson Nigerian producer Mo Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife Media, has been helping to share the stories of African people through film and television for years — but never one written by her own hand. Until now, that is. Abudu made her screenwriting and directorial debut with the release of two short films honing in on mental health issues in Nigeria: “Her Perfect Life” and “Iyawo Mi” (“My Wife”).

EXCLUSIVE: Luther and Hijack star Idris Elba is set to direct singer Seal, Nollywood stars Nse Ikpe-Etim (Shanty Town), Eku Edewor (Breath Of Life) and Atlanta Bridget Johnson (Man Of God), and former Nigerian Idol contestant Constance Olatunde in short film Dust To Dreams.

Netflix’s has unveiled a slate of female-led African projects to coincide with International Women’s Month.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor From Hollywood strikes to the ascent of AI to sinking stock prices, 2023 was a topsy-turvy year for media and entertainment. Cynthia Littleton and Andrew Wallenstein, hosts of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” discuss the highs and lows of the past year on the latest episode.

EbonyLife CEO Mo Abudu has called out TV’s gatekeepers, saying they must stop the excuses and begin to order African show with global budgets.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Mo Abudu is an entrepreneur on a mission to make her native Nigeria a bigger player in global media. The CEO of Lagos-based EbonyLife Media is tapping into wave of interest from streamers in content from outside the U.S. and Europe to generate a flurry of deals for her production banner, known for producing the detective drama series “Blood Sisters” for Netflix.

Netflix has unveiled a swathe of South African content including the first feature from Mandla Dube’s high-profile talent deal and a rom-com titled Soweto Love Story.

When two British-born powerhouses get together — Idris Elba, an actor-director-producer of Sierra Leone, Creole and Ghanaian descent, and Nigerian-rooted Mo Abudu, largely considered the go-between for African content to the rest of the world — they have a powerful chemistry. Remarkably, though, they’ve never made anything together.

Naman Ramachandran Mo Abudu, the CEO of EbonyLife Media, has launched Mo Abudu Films and directed two short films that address mental health issues from a Nigerian perspective, a subject that is considered taboo in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. “Iyawo Mi” tells the story of Kunle, a young married man who lives in impoverished downtown Lagos. He returns home one evening to find his wife Eniola appears to be hallucinating, and the film explores the tragic consequences that ensue. Lateef Adedimeji, Bolaji Ogunmola and Segun Arinze are the leading actors, with Jude Chukwuka, Koye Kekere-Ekun and Blessing Obasi in supporting roles. Meanwhile, “Her Perfect Life” portrays the story of a woman, Onajite Johnson Ibrahim, who is envied by everyone in Lagos but wants to end it all. The film features Pearl Thusi and Joseph Benjamin in leading roles, with Omowunmi Dada, Uzo Osimkpa, Mary Lazarus and Christian Paul in supporting roles.

Mo Abudu, the CEO of EbonyLife Media, has stepped into the writing and directing spaces, having completed two short films – Iyawo Mi and Her Perfect Life – the former of which will screen at the Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner this month. Both projects have also been selected for the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival in August. 

Queen Nzinga” executive producer said the effort would be made through their respective production companies, Green Door Pictures and EbonyLife Media to build capacity and foster authentic representation in global film and TV projects set for production.The two described a two-fold approached that would bring education and mentoring initiatives to help both young people and older creative professionals the opportunity to showcase their skills and tell their stories, and assist in large-scale productions.Abudu, who has Nigerian roots, has deep ties to “Nollywood,” as the Nigerian film industry is known, producing multiple films in that space, including 2016’s “The Wedding Party,” which stood at the time as the nation’s highest grossing film. She’s also involved with Nigerian television, including “Desperate Housewives Africa” in partnership with Disney.“We believe that Africa has the talent and the stories to captivate the world.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International “Luther” star Idris Elba and media mogul Mo Abudu are joining forces to empower talent from Africa and the diaspora through their respective production companies, Green Door Pictures and EbonyLife Media. The new partnership aims to provide opportunities through capacity building as well as large-scale global productions. New education and mentoring initiatives will launch through the partnership to foster both the lost generation and a new generation of creatives. Through their collaboration, Elba and Abudu aim to nurture a more inclusive and diverse media landscape for stories from Africa and its diaspora. They are calling on industry leaders, the wider public sector, governments and multilateral agencies to help them grow talent globally and build capacity around the continent of Africa.

Idris Elba and Mo Abudu have partnered on a landmark initiative to “empower and uplift talent from Africa and the Diaspora.”

EbonyLife CEO Mo Abudu and execs from Starz, DreamWorks Animations and Universal International Studios are leading the jury for the Banff World Media Festival, which has unveiled nominations for its Rockie Awards.

EXCLUSIVE: Yetide Badaki, who starred in Starz’ American Gods, is biting into the comic book world.

Christopher Vourlias The weeks leading up to a world premiere are typically a time of celebration and anticipation for the filmmakers, particularly when that premiere is taking place at the Toronto Film Festival. But for the team behind “Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman,” which is produced by Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife Films and Netflix and will screen in the festival’s Special Presentations section, there will be a long shadow cast across the red carpet on opening night. Just weeks ahead of the film’s world premiere on Sept. 10, director Biyi Bandele died in Lagos, Nigeria. His sudden, tragic passing on the eve of what would have been his crowning achievement as a filmmaker sent shockwaves through the film community, particularly in Africa and across the diaspora.

Carson Burton Biyi Bandele, the renowned Nigerian novelist, playwright and filmmaker behind 2013’s “Half of a Yellow Sun” and upcoming film “The King’s Horseman,” has died. He was 54.Bandele died on Sunday in Lagos, Nigeria, according to a Facebook post from his daughter, Temi Bandele.

Thinus Ferreira Guest ContributorNetflix’s top executive team in Africa plans to continue spending on scripted and unscripted content across genres until it unearths the big “Squid Game”-like show that captures global buzz.During Tuesday’s “See What’s Next Africa” showcase in Johannesburg, South Africa, the streamer unveiled several African original renewals, some co-production developments, more details around existing projects, and another multi-project output deal with the South Africa filmmaker Mandlakayise Walter Dube for films and series.Under the partnership, Dube — who directed Netflix’s first commissioned African film “Silverton Siege,” released earlier this year — will direct a variety of Netflix-owned projects. He joins Nigeria’s Junle Afolayan of Kunle Afolayan Productions and Mo Abudu of EbonyLife Studios who have similar output deals with the streamer already.

Netflix has struck a multi-project partnership with South African filmmaker Mandlakayise (Mandla) Walter Dube and unveiled its latest film with Nigerian director Kunle Afolayan, as the streamer trumpeted its investment in Africa today in Johannesburg.

Manori Ravindran International EditorNigeria’s entertainment industry, known as Nollywood, has been thriving for years — it’s the second biggest film industry after Hollywood — but a truly international, mainstream hit in the orbit of a “Squid Game” or “Money Heist” has so far been elusive.For a long time, that’s boiled down to a proclivity for insular stories that couldn’t easily travel beyond Nigerian viewership, combined with low production values. But all of that is set to change as Nigerian storytelling targets a more global audience, and streaming backers like Netflix direct resources into premium programming from the country’s top producers.Netflix’s first Nigerian original TV series, “Blood Sisters,” embodies the market potential that’s in store.

Manori Ravindran International EditorNetflix has released the trailer for its first original TV show out of Nigeria, “Blood Sisters.”Produced by leading Nigerian production company EbonyLife Studios, founded by Mo Abudu, the four-part crime thriller directed by Biyi Bandele and Kenneth Gyana will launch globally on the streaming service on May 5. The show is Abudu’s latest project for Netflix as part of her multi-title deal with the platform.Set in Lagos, “Blood Sisters” follows a Nigerian wedding where the bride — who is fed up of being beaten up by her partner — accidentally kills the groom the night before their big day.

Major networks are “beginning to see the light” by commissioning entertaining content from Africa, according to EbonyLife Founder Mo Abudu, as the heads of production houses in some of the world’s biggest growing content markets spotlighted the challenge of attracting new talent.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentVariety shined a spotlight on European talents at its jam-packed dinner cocktail party at Series Mania Festival in Lille, France.The event, which was co-hosted by Variety and Series Mania Forum, celebrated Mo Abudu, the CEO of Nigeria’s EbonyLife Media who won the 2022 Woman in Series Award. The party also brought together the laureates of the Copro pitching sessions and over 800 international industry players.Following an introduction by Series Mania Forum’s head Francesco Capurro, Variety‘s international editor Manori Ravindran welcomed on stage three rising series directors and creators who are part of Variety’s 10 European Talents to Watch: Chas Appeti and Junior Okoli, the cinematographer and director of “Jungle,” and Quoc Dang Tran, the creator, showrunner and writer of Disney Plus’ French original “Parallels.” “Jungle” is an Amazon Original Series showcasing the creativity of the U.K.’s drill, grime and rap music.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentMo Abudu, CEO of Nigeria’s The EbonyLife Group, will be celebrated by France’s upcoming Series Mania festival with its Women in Series Award. The prize, given in tandem with the European Women’s Audiovisual Network (EWA Network) and advocacy group Pour Les Femmes Dans Les Médias (PFDM), honors a remarkable woman from the audiovisual industry for her vision and leadership.

Starz is developing a drama series centered on the life of African Warrior Queen Nzinga with American Gods’ Yetide Badaki set to star in the main role.

Naman Ramachandran BBC Studios Drama Productions has set a development partnership with Nigerian television pioneer Mosunmola “Mo” Abudu, founder and CEO of global entertainment network EbonyLife Media.

BBC Studios Drama Productions has set up a development partnership with Nigerian TV pioneer Mosunmola “Mo” Abudu, founder and CEO of entertainment network EbonyLife Media. The deal was brokered by CAA.

Will Packer Productions and Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife Studios are teaming to develop an untitled project, based on Evan Ratliff’s Bloomberg article, “The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master.”

Mo Abudu attempted to crack Hollywood for years, but her steely belief that the world needed to hear African stories was met with resounding silence. Emails went unanswered, leads from a trip to Los Angeles quickly went cold. Abudu, a megastar in Nigeria with her own chat show and TV network, grew frustrated.

Christopher Vourlias When she was a young girl growing up in the U.K., where she was born and spent most of her early life, classmates would struggle with Mosunmola Abudu’s name. One took to calling her “Monsoon.” Another called her “Mozambique.” In Yoruba, the name Mosunmola roughly translates as someone who is close to wealth, but the elegant appellation so flummoxed friends and neighbors that they eventually settled on a pared-down, characteristically British shorthand.