Odunlade Adekola Plays ‘The King’s Horseman’

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Odunlade Adekola is the lead character in the Netflix/EbonyLife latest title ‘Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman’. This was recently revealed via the official trailer for the screen adaptation. It’s interesting to note that Wale Ojo was originally billed to play ‘Elesin Oba’ (exclusive to Showbiz). One wonders how he would have approached the role. The film which is scheduled for a world premiere at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is based on the 1975 tragic play “Death and the King’s Horseman”.

Written by Wole Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel Prize for Literature winner, it is the first of Soyinka’s works to be made into a feature-length film. The screen adaptation was written and directed by Biyi Bandele. Cameron Bailey, a Canadian film critic and CEO of TIFF, said this of the highly anticipated title: “It was a pleasure to see Soyinka’s words and his mastery of tragic drama transformed into cinema. Odunlade Adekola gives a grand, impressive performance.”

The multiple award winning actor stars alongside Shaffy Bello and acclaimed musician Olawale ‘Brymo’ Olofooro, making his screen debut. They are joined by Deyemi Okanlawon, Omowunmi Dada, and veteran actors, Jide Kosoko and Kevin Ushi. Also featured are Jenny Stead and Mark Elderkin as Jane and Simon Pilkings, Langley Kirkwood, and a special appearance by Taiwo Ajai-Lycett and Joke Silva.

‘Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman’, will premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 10, making it the first Yoruba-language film to reach such height, according to a recent announcement by EbonyLife boss Mo Abudu. The film – which will play in the Special Presentations section – is based on real-life events in Nigeria in 1943, and set in the Oyo Empire, in which the King’s horseman, Elesin Oba, must commit ritual suicide to follow his deceased king into the afterlife.

However, his best intentions are derailed by his sexual desires, leading to catastrophic consequences and ends in a deadly clash with the British rulers of the day. The horseman is unable to fulfill his ultimate commitment to the king, leaving his spirit to roam the earth, spelling doom for the land and its people.

The CEO of the EbonyLife Group and executive producer of the film, Abudu stated in the announcement, “In filming Elesin Oba, we chose to stay close to the original work, which is already well-known globally as a great example of African drama. It’s an honour to see this compelling introduction to African thought and tradition on screen.

“Its interweaving of European and Yoruba ideals to depict universal themes of cultural responsibility has never been more important than now.” Netflix signed a major deal with EbonyLife Productions in 2020 to bring two Nigerian literary classics to life, among which is the epic feature film. ‘Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman’ which will start showing on November 4 makes the list of exciting African titles coming to the streamer soon.