After securing a streaming deal with HBO Max for its thriller ‘The Weekend’, managing director Uche Okocha says Trino Motion Pictures is preparing a broader slate of projects as it looks to expand its presence across global platforms.
Speaking with Nollywire following the announcement, Okocha described the acquisition as an important step in the film’s international rollout.
“The ambition has always been to ensure the film reaches audiences beyond its initial release,” he said.
The company sees the film’s international expansion as part of a wider strategy to grow its catalogue across multiple platforms while experimenting with new storytelling formats.
Okocha confirmed that the company is also developing a series project that will head into production soon as it expands beyond feature films.
“We are still committed to producing quality content. By ‘quality content’ I mean feature films,” Okocha told Nollywire. “But we’re also willing to explore new formats because we are an entertainment company, not just a film production company.”
Among the formats under consideration are short-form series designed for mobile viewing.
“Vertical drama and microdramas are catching a wave,” Okocha said. “That’s something we’re discussing internally and will be exploring pretty soon.”
Such formats, designed for smartphone consumption and structured as rapid-episode storytelling, have gained global traction as platforms experiment with new ways to reach younger audiences.
Directed by Daniel Oriahi, ‘The Weekend’ follows Nikiya, played by Uzoamaka Power, whose visit to meet her fiancé’s family turns into a disturbing encounter with long-buried secrets.
The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2024 before going on to win multiple awards at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.
Beyond content development, Trino Motion Pictures is also preparing the next edition of its industry development initiatives, which aim to strengthen the business side of filmmaking.
While many training programmes in the industry focus on actors, writers, and directors, Okocha believes the business infrastructure surrounding film distribution and sales deserves greater attention.
“We have workshops for directors, producers, writers and actors,” he said. “But not many people are focusing on the business people who help sell the content.”
As ‘The Weekend’ continues its rollout, Okocha says the company is focused on building a broader entertainment pipeline while expanding the global reach of its projects.
