Funke Akindele Warns Against Piracy Ahead of New Movie Release
Nollywood actress Funke Akindele has issued a strong warning to pirates and moviegoers against unauthorised recordings ahead of the release of her much-anticipated film, “Everybody Loves Jenifa”. The movie is set to hit cinemas on Friday, December 13.
In a video shared on her Instagram handle on Wednesday, Akindele addressed fans and potential offenders, stressing the harmful effects of piracy on the film industry.
“Don’t be scared, I’m fine. If you go to see my new movie and you bring out your phone or any device you have to film, then that won’t be fine,” she said.
Akindele acknowledged the love and support she receives from her fans but emphasised that recording the movie in cinemas is not a form of support.
“I know you’ve got mad love for me as my fan, I know you respect me, I know you support me, and you want to promote ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa,’ but you’re filming it is not you supporting me,” she stated.
Encouraging her fans to support her work legally, the actress suggested alternative ways of promotion.
“If you want to support me, get to the cinemas, take pictures by the stands, post my trailers, the teasers of the movie, and I’ll be fine. Cos the act of you filming it on the screen is piracy. YES.”
Akindele further revealed that security measures would be in place to ensure offenders are arrested. She appealed to her fans to avoid actions that could jeopardize the industry.
“We must not encourage piracy. We are taking serious security measures to arrest anyone who does that. I love my fans so much but please don’t be caught doing it cos it’s affecting us, it’s killing us. It’s not helping the brand. We need to grow more than this. We spent a lot of money on that project,” she concluded.
As the release date draws near, the actress’s call serves as a crucial reminder of the need to support Nollywood’s growth by rejecting piracy.