For Nile Media and its founder, Moses Babatope, the agreement marks another significant milestone as the company continues to expand its footprint across Africa's production, distribution and exhibition landscape while positioning African action cinema for global audiences.
The collaboration aims to produce commercially driven, high-energy action films rooted in authentic African stories. Beyond making films, the partners also intend to build a long-term production ecosystem that will nurture local creatives, strengthen technical expertise, and create more opportunities for African talent to compete on the international stage.
The collaboration brings together three companies with complementary strengths. Elba's 22Summers contributes international production expertise and global reach; Nile Media brings its extensive knowledge of the African film market and distribution network; while Action Xtreme adds its experience in genre filmmaking.
Babatope, the former Managing Director of FilmOne Entertainment, has long been regarded as one of the key figures behind the growth of Nigeria's modern cinema business. Through Nile Media Entertainment Group, he has continued to expand the company's footprint across production, theatrical distribution and exhibition. One of Nile's earliest milestones came with the international distribution of Funke Akindele's *Everybody Loves Jenifa*, which became the highest-grossing Nollywood film of its time while setting a new benchmark for the global theatrical reach of Nigerian cinema with releases across 30 countries on six continents. The latest partnership with 22Summers and Action Xtreme represents another significant step in Nile Media's growing international ambitions.
For Idris Elba, the partnership builds on a long-standing commitment to African storytelling. After portraying Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), he delivered one of his most acclaimed performances as the Commandant in Beasts of No Nation (2015), the award-winning drama set in a fictional West African nation and filmed in Ghana. Together, the two films reflect Elba's enduring engagement with stories from the African continent.
Action Xtreme is no stranger to the Nigerian film industry. The UK studio previously produced the Nigerian action thriller *Son of the Soil*, showcasing the depth of filmmaking talent and storytelling emerging from the continent.The first project under the partnership is expected to be announced soon and is scheduled to begin production in the final quarter of 2026, with a second film planned for the first quarter of 2027.
The new partnership brings together international production experience, African market expertise and established genre filmmaking credentials, underscoring a shared ambition to develop West African action stories for audiences both on the continent and around the world.
- Jimi D Baldheaded Guy
The new partnership brings together international production experience, African market expertise and established genre filmmaking credentials, underscoring a shared ambition to develop West African action stories for audiences both on the continent and around the world.
- Jimi D Baldheaded Guy