Moses Babatope, the co-founder of Filmhouse Group and former Managing Director of FilmOne, has opened up about his next venture. In an official statement made available to Nollywire, he also addressed his exit from Filmhouse Group for the first time.
For his next move, the film executive is launching his own media and entertainment company, which is set to be a significant move in the Nigerian film industry. With over 20 years of experience in film exhibition, production, distribution, marketing and cinema operations management gained from several markets, including the United Kingdom and Nigeria, Babatope’s new venture will focus on film production, distribution, and cinema.
In his words, “The plan is bigger than Moses Babatope; it’s not just another entertainment venture. The plan is to grow the industry ten times bigger. We’re innovating, disrupting, and creating new revenue lines for the industry.”
Concerning his exit from FilmOne, Babatope addressed speculations regarding a non-compete agreement with Filmhouse Group. Debunking the rumours, he said, “There are rumours of a non-compete with FilmOne and Filmhouse, but that is untrue.”
Babatope reportedly left the company early this year. Before his exit, he contributed significantly to the growth and success of Filmhouse, which was founded in 2012 by Kenechukwu Mkparu, Moses Babatope, and Kene Okwuosa as co-founders.
The company, which began with a three-screen cinema in the Surulere neighbourhood of Lagos, has become West Africa’s largest cinema chain. With 13 cinemas located in six states across Nigeria and a roll-out plan factoring in all cities in Nigeria and beyond, the company has a 75% market share (2022) and is also the largest supplier of African content to the streaming platform Netflix.
As Managing Director of FilmOne, he was the mastermind behind the global distribution of blockbuster films. Under his tenure, major international distribution deals were secured, including partnerships with Hollywood giants like Disney, Warner Brothers, Sony, Netflix, Prime Video, and Warner Brothers.
Under his leadership as the co-founder of FilmHouse Group and the pioneering Managing Director of FilmOne Entertainment, the company produced over 40 of Nollywood’s biggest titles, contributing significantly to the industry’s growth and international recognition.
The company also launched their film production house, FilmOne Studios, and began producing original content independently with Adeoluwa Owu’s ‘Adire’ (2023). FilmOne Studio’s 2024 slate includes ‘Farmer’s Bride,’ ‘Aburo’ and ‘Alagbede.’
He also spearheaded the first-ever corporate financing of films through the creation of the West African Film Fund, partnering with Huahua Media of China and Empire Entertainment of South Africa to fully finance or co-finance 15 titles. In 2020, he led FilmOne’s efforts in creating and developing premium episodic TV content originating from Nigeria.
Babatope is also a co-founder of Talking Drum Entertainment, a UK-based company specialising in the distribution of black film and TV content.
