AT&T-Tribeca’s ‘Nigerian Prince’ Bought by Vertical Entertainment

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Vertical Entertainment has acquired U.S. distribution rights to “Nigerian Prince” from the year-old Untold Stories initiative created by AT&T and Tribeca.

Spike Lee is an executive producer on “Nigerian Prince.” Writer and director Faraday Okoro was awarded $1 million in April of 2017 to produce his feature film with mentorship from the Tribeca Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Institute. The movie made its worldwide premiere in April at the Tribeca Film Festival after being shot on location in Lagos and finished in less than 12 months.

The pic marks Okoro’s feature debut and stars newcomers Chinaza Uche and Antonio Bell. Vertical plans a fall theatrical release in multiple U.S. markets, including New York and Los Angeles. The film will also be released via national VOD outlets.

“Unveiling this story to the world is so gratifying for the entire cast and crew of ‘Nigerian Prince,’” Okoro said. “After winning AT&T Presents: Untold Stories last year, the team worked tirelessly to finish the film, but the hard work has all been worth it.”

The deal was negotiated by Rich Goldberg and Peter Jarowey at Vertical, and Janice Keane on behalf of AT&T.

“Nigerian Prince” is about a Nigerian-American teenager who is sent to Nigeria against his will and joins forces with an internet scammer in order to return to the U.S. Okoro directed from a script he wrote with Andrew Long. The producers are Oscar Hernandez, Bose Oshin, and Faraday Okoro; and the executive producers are Lee and Biyi Bandele. Andrew Long co-produced the film.