Netflix Features Ikorodu Bois on Oscar Weekend Campaign

By Vanessa Obioha

Ikorodu Bois, a group of brothers and a cousin from Lagos, Nigeria, are getting the spotlight in the Netflix Oscar weekend brand campaign. The campaign, which celebrates fans of movies, showcases the ingenuity of the group that gained popularity from their remakes of favourite trailers of Hollywood movies.

Netflix’s VP of Brand, Eric Pallotta, called their style charming and inimitable in a blog post. He wrote that the group employs “a mix of ingenious DIY and child-like whimsy to recreate mega-budget films on a shoestring”.

The streamer first noticed the young filmmakers when they reenacted the trailer of the Netflix film Extraction last June. Impressed by their creativity, Netflix sent them a package of professional filmmaking gear last August.

Netflix’s wide reach has woken up a new generation of global film fans, allowing them to discover more diverse perspectives, see themselves reflected and inspiring new forms of movie love.

“2020/21 has been a weird and wonderful year for films and film lovers and our films brought joy and hope to the industry and more importantly to fans. Once a year, the Oscars pierce the culture and put movies on our collective minds and this year, we’re putting the spotlight on the Ikorodu Bois to remind movie fans that fans are the most important part of the movies. In seeing the Ikorodu Bois channel their creativity into remakes/tributes of their favourite movies, we see the joy of being a fan,” the streamer said in a statement.

Netflix has a total of 37 Oscar nominations including ‘Mank’, which is nominated in the Best Picture, Best Director, Actor in a Leading Role, and Actress in a Supporting Role categories.

The awards will take place on Sunday, April 25.