There was a time when Hanks Anuku was one of the most magnetic faces in Nollywood. The headscarves, the sunglasses, the soft growl in his voice and his screen presence carried both chaos and cool in equal measure. Then, somewhere along the line, he disappeared. For years, one of Nollywood’s most recognisable bad boys drifted from the frame, leaving fans wondering what happened.
Now, Anuku is back. And fittingly, his return comes in ‘This Is Not a Nollywood Movie’, a new project written and directed by Wale Ojo, a filmmaker and actor.
The film follows Okechukwu Nwadibe (played by Ojo himself), a washed-up director from Nnewi who dreams he’s won an Oscar and takes it as a sign to give his career one last push. With his ever-loyal friend Pius Godloves You, he travels to Lagos in pursuit of a comeback that quickly spirals into chaos, with one bad decision after another until a shady loan from a gangster sets off a chain of unpredictable events.
The film’s ensemble includes Bimbo Akintola, Julius Agwu, Olumide Oworu, Brodda Shaggi, and, of course, Hanks Anuku.
When I spoke with Anuku briefly, he was calm, grounded, and introspective, a far cry from the larger-than-life characters that defined his early career. “I took that long break because I had a lot of friction, not just from the inside but from the outside,” he stated. “I needed that break to rejuvenate my spirit and also meet other people like me on the other side of the world to get better.”
His words hang heavy with self-awareness; time away, it seems, was not just a pause but a recalibration. Asked what drew him to this particular film, Anuku’s admiration for Ojo was immediate. “It was written by Wale Ojo, and Wale is someone who’s well nurtured and has depth in screenwriting. I’ve seen his movies abroad and even here in Nigeria. If a Nigerian can be abroad, we can bring abroad to Nigeria. That means this is not a Nollywood movie.”
That last line, also the film’s title, feels both playful and defiant. It suggests a desire to challenge Nollywood’s conventions without dismissing its roots. For Anuku, who built his fame in the golden age of direct-to-video blockbusters, it is a full-circle moment: to return in a film that reimagines the industry he once dominated.
Asked what fans can expect from this comeback, Anuku gave a simple but telling answer. “Expect the way it is,” he said. “But this time around, better than yesterday.”
There’s something almost poetic in that response. For years, Anuku’s name floated in the corners of internet rumour and nostalgia, the “what happened to…” conversations that haunt stars who step out of sight. Now, standing in front of a camera again, he doesn’t seem interested in myth-making or apologies. His focus is the work, the story, the performance, the art.
In ‘This Is Not a Nollywood Movie’, Anuku makes a bold comeback. The film’s title might insist it is “not a Nollywood movie”, but his presence; familiar, textured and full of lived experience, is a reminder of where the story really began.
