Itele’s ‘Kesari’ halts Netflix release date

The Yoruba epic Kesari, produced by Ibrahim “Itele” Yekini, will not begin streaming on Netflix in January, as previously announced.

Earlier this month, news broke that the indigenous language movie would be released on streaming platforms, with the premiere date set for January 28, 2024.

However, on Monday, What Kept Me Up announced that the release had been postponed and a new date would be announced.

The absence of the Kesari poster on the Netflix newsroom, where expected movie dates are typically outlined, further confirmed this development.

Kesari began as a three-part YouTube series before being released in Nigerian cinemas on August 25, 2023.

It was praised for being one of the first Yoruba noirs to make the dynamic transition to the big screen, alongside Agesinkole and Orisa, who helped establish indigenous titles as viable cinematic content.

The action thriller follows a tough robber armed with charms who is apprehended by an efficient police officer. The movie grossed ₦78,106,925 over 11 weeks, making it the second highest-grossing Nigerian epic title in 2023.

Produced and directed by Yekini, it features Mr. Macaroni, Deyemi Okolanwon, Femi Adebayo Salami, Ibrahim Lateef, Odunlade Adekola, and Deyemi Okanlawon, and Yvonne Jegede..