Odunlade to Play ‘Ifa’ in Rain Pryor’s New Film

Hollywood filmmaker Rain Pryor has revealed that her upcoming film project will cast Nigerian actor Odunlade Adekola in the lead. Pryor, made this known recently in a chat with journalists in Lagos, while sharing few details of the upcoming Nollywood-Hollywood title set to commence principal photography in Nigeria and the United States next year 2024.

According to her, “The film aims to reinforce Ifa as a culture of the Yoruba race to black people globally and will see a combination of Nollywood and Hollywood stars on set.” The 54-year-old accomplished film star and daughter of American comedian and actor, Richard Pryor said she settled for Odunlade after watching many of his films and his abilities on set.

According to her, “I am a fan of Nollywood, so in the last year and a half, Nollywood has flooded the United States through Netflix and other streaming platforms and I have watched King of Boys, Jagun Jagun and other titles and I have watched Odunlade, his range of abilities and what he can do and to me, he possessed what is needed for the character of Oba Fagbemi in the coming film and that was why I chose him,” Pryor explained.

Pryor, who is currently working with Bola Attah and Chike Nwoffiah, a Nigerian filmmaker and arts consultant on the film project, would take on the dual roles of director and executive producer, Attah and Nwoffiah sits as executive directors of the project.

On the inspiration behind the project, Pryor said, “What prompted the story was my family.

“I have a family that is rich in tradition and culture and when I traveled to Nigeria to learn about the Yoruba culture, predominantly Ifa, I thought how I can collaborate with the Nigerian and black Americans together to create something that is a mixture of Hollywood and Nollywood.

“My father, who was a late popular comedian and actor, made profound changes in his life when he came to the continent and felt that he found his soul and himself and here I am doing the same thing and finding my place.”