More than three decades after Mount Zion Films released Agbara Nla, the Christian classic is returning in a new production titled Agbara Nla: The Return. Filmmaker Damilola Mike-Bamiloye has explained how the remake came about and why it took years for the project to receive approval.
The idea did not begin recently.
Damilola said he and his brother, Joshua, had been considering the possibility of revisiting some of Mount Zion Films’ older productions about four years ago.
Agbara Nla was one of the stories that immediately caught their attention.
The first attempt was unsuccessful
Damilola said the brothers imagined how the 1993 story could be presented differently for today’s viewers while preserving the message that made the original popular.
They eventually took the proposal to their father, Mike Bamiloye.
But the response was not what they expected.
Their father told them that the time was not right for the remake.
Rather than push ahead without his support, the brothers accepted his decision and put the project aside.
A later conversation changed everything
The idea resurfaced during a conversation Damilola had with a producer and friend, Chris.
Because Chris had experience with remakes, Damilola shared the Agbara Nla idea with him.
Chris became enthusiastic about the possibility and encouraged him to revisit the project.
Damilola said they subsequently prayed about the idea and discussed it with other people before returning to his father.
This time, Mike Bamiloye approved the proposal.
His approval paved the way for the production of Agbara Nla: The Return.
Filming took about three weeks
According to Damilola, production moved forward quickly once the project received approval.
The movie was shot in approximately 20 to 21 days.
The filmmaker said the experience made him appreciate the importance of timing.
He noted that although he and Joshua had wanted to remake the film several years earlier, the eventual timing may have been more appropriate for the project.
In his view, the period between the original proposal and the eventual production allowed the film to emerge when the filmmakers felt it could connect more effectively with its intended audience.
The original story remains intact
Fans of the 1993 movie may be wondering how different the new production will be.
Damilola said the remake carries the full story of the original.
He explained that the characters have been represented and that the storyline is presented from beginning to end.
However, the filmmakers have updated the way the story is presented to suit modern audiences.
The original Agbara Nla was made for the generation of the 1990s.
The new production, Damilola explained, is intended to speak to today’s generation while retaining the central story of the classic.
