Released in Nigerian cinemas on 6 November 2026, Loving Itohan is directed by Orobosa Ikponmwen and produced by Emmanuel Izuoba. The film, a collaboration between Jade Osiberu's GREOH Studios and Isime's NIP Studios, stars Isime alongside Uzor Arukwe, Martha Ehinome, Dorathy Bachor, Chioma Nwosu, Grace Dein Coker and Obehi Aburime.
The romantic drama follows Itohan, a woman whose experiences of love, loss and unexpected revelations lead her through a series of emotional challenges, forcing her to confront difficult choices about relationships, family and her future.
For Isime, whose acting career spans more than a decade, the move into executive production represents another milestone in a steadily rising career that has seen her become one of Nollywood's most recognisable screen personalities.
Her journey towards leading-lady status gathered momentum through appearances in Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons (2018), Living in Bondage: Breaking Free (2019) and Merry Men 2 (2019). She subsequently took on more prominent roles in Kambili: The Whole 30 Yards (2020) and Superstar (2021), while the Netflix productions Blood Sisters (2022) and Shanty Town (2023) helped extend her visibility to international audiences.
By 2024, Isime had further strengthened her commercial credentials with appearances in Queen Lateefah and Everybody Loves Jenifa, two major Nigerian box-office successes.
Her growing screen presence was particularly evident in April 2025 when SCREENNOLLY reported on what it described as "Nancy Isime's April Takeover", following her appearances in three cinema releases within the same month: Radio Voice, Aso Ebi Diaries and Adunni.
It was a remarkable period for an actress whose increasing visibility, versatility and audience appeal appeared to be positioning her firmly among Nollywood's leading stars.
But while stardom can open doors to bigger productions and higher earnings, it can also present a different set of challenges.
In an industry where production budgets can be restrictive, the rising commercial value of established performers may sometimes put them beyond the financial reach of smaller and mid-budget productions. The irony is that the very success that makes an actor more desirable can also limit the number of producers able to afford their services.
For an actress of Isime's growing stature, becoming an executive producer could therefore be more than a creative ambition. It may also represent a strategic approach to sustaining her screen presence, protecting her commercial relevance and maintaining greater control over the direction of her career.
Rather than depending exclusively on acting offers, the producer-actor model can provide established performers with opportunities to initiate projects, influence creative decisions and potentially participate in the commercial rewards of a film beyond their acting fees.
In a recent interview with Vanguard Allure, Isime acknowledged that her move into executive production was driven by a desire for greater equity, ownership and creative control. Having spent 12 years working professionally as an actress, she expressed her ambition to become more involved in the business of filmmaking.
The transition is not entirely unfamiliar territory for Isime, who is already the creator, host and executive producer of The Nancy Isime Show. However, Loving Itohan marks her first executive production venture in feature filmmaking, extending her entrepreneurial ambitions into an industry where she has established much of her celebrity status.
Interestingly, Isime's decision comes amid another development that suggests the producer-actor model may be gaining greater prominence in Nollywood.
In November, filmmaker and EbonyLife Group chief executive Mo Abudu announced that five leading actors in her forthcoming film, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives, had also been appointed executive producers.
Odunlade Adekola, Iyabo Ojo, Mercy Aigbe, Bimbo Ademoye and Omowunmi Dada will take on responsibilities extending beyond their performances, contributing to the film's strategic vision, executive direction and global distribution.
The development offers another example of established performers being given a greater stake in the creative and commercial direction of major film productions.
While the circumstances and financial arrangements behind these appointments may differ, they point towards an industry in which star power is increasingly being recognised as an asset that can extend beyond an actor's performance on screen.
For Isime, the decision to executive-produce Loving Itohan may prove particularly timely. Having built a career through a succession of cinema and streaming appearances, she now has an opportunity to help determine the projects that carry her name, rather than relying entirely on opportunities presented by other producers.
Of course, executive production brings its own responsibilities and commercial risks, and the title does not automatically guarantee ownership, creative authority or financial success. Much will depend on the structure of individual projects and their performance in an increasingly competitive cinema market.
Nevertheless, Isime's latest career move raises an interesting question about the future of stardom in Nollywood. As actors become more commercially valuable, sustaining that success may increasingly require them to think beyond the roles they are offered and towards the projects they can help develop, produce and potentially own.
Could the producer-actor model become an increasingly important route for Nollywood's biggest stars to sustain their careers?