“I Make Films For Thinkers” – Kunle Afolayan Slams Critics Of New Anikulapo

Nollywood director Kunle Afolayan has reacted to the criticism surrounding his latest series, Anikulapo: The Ghoul Awakens.

The series, which continues the story of the 2022 award-winning film Anikulapo, debuted on Netflix on January 30.

Unlike the original movie, this project comes as a five-episode mini-series.

In a video shared on Instagram, Kunle Afolayan addressed those who have questioned the series, stressing that that his films are not meant to please everyone.

According to him, his style of storytelling is aimed at viewers who enjoy thinking deeply about what they watch, not just those looking for light entertainment.

Afolayan said his films are layered and carefully structured for people who appreciate meaningful, thought-provoking cinema.

Referencing his earlier projects, Irapada and The Figurine, he explained that those films were also doubted at first, but they later gained recognition and won awards internationally, eventually earning long-term praise.

Afolayan encouraged critics to be patient and allow the full story of Anikulapo: The Ghoul Awakens to unfold before deciding whether it succeeds or fails.

He compared the experience to watching popular global series like Game of Thrones, where viewers follow the story episode by episode and wait for the complete arc before forming a final opinion.

The filmmaker stressed that only a few episodes have been released so far, and it is too early to judge the entire series based on what has been seen.

He said, “Something that is very peculiar to the kind of films that we make, we make films for the intellectual. We make films for people who can think.

” I don’t expect that everybody would like the film or understand the film. But I expect that the people that I am trying to appeal to would get it.

“I have read from scholars, professors, deepthinkers; I have heard from them, and I appreciate them.

“To those who really don’t get it, let me break it down in layman’s terms. It is a series that has many episodes. What you have seen are just a few of the episodes.

“How do you conclude that in your brain that it is not good? When you have not even seen the entire thing.

“When you watch series like ‘Game of Thrones’ and the rest, you have to wait every week before the new episode comes out.

“You haven’t even seen it all, how come you’ve concluded that the stories are allover the place.

“We have created new plots. Those who understand literature get it already. Those of you who don’t get it should ask those who do, so they can explain it to you.

“For us, we would keep appealing to those who have common sense.”

Watch the video below:

KanyiDaily recalls that actress Funke Akindele recently responded to critic comments made by Kunle Afolayan about movie promotion in the Nigerian movie industry.