Charles Okpaleke is all About Making Good Movies in Guardian Life’s Latest Issue

Charles Okpaleke is not a man to do things in a hurry, and his career is all the proof you need. In the latest issue of Guardian Life magazine, Charles talks about his latest venture going into Nollywood.

“To be honest, what drives me is our heritage. I am making films for Africa. What is important is Nigerians and Africans telling our stories,” he says. He also talks about his insatiable need to explore and expand Nollywood, make a mark, and improve the overall quality.

In 2019, Ramsey Nouah, the director of “Living in Bondage” sequel explained in an interview that unlike the juju we were used to, this came with a ‘’sexy, Illuminati vibe.’’ True to his words, the little girl, the inverted cross, and the devil troupe all make appearances in the film.

Is this his attempt to push the narrative? Okpaleke says:

What we did here was to modernize it, we made the spiritual, occultic thing a refined organisation. You didn’t use juju for money to fall down on you. Everything was more like a corporate system. As long as there is life, there is evil and there is good. I don’t think you can stop anyone from shooting something that doesn’t depict this.

Reinforced by the success of the non-comedy film, Okpaleke says that more than ever, he does not regret towing the paths of Horror.

I am built to not regret anything. When I miss out on something, I look at it again and say, ‘what are the lessons here?’ It depends on if you want to take it as a failure or a lesson. King of Boys showed that there are people who are interested in other genres apart from rom-com. It also showed diversification and growth in the industry.

Read his full interview here.

Photo Credit: George Photo for Charles Okpaleke