The wait is over: the first trailer for ‘Osamede’ has dropped, pulling audiences into a world where history and myth collide.
Shot over just 14 days in Benin City, the film revisits the events of 1897, when the British invasion dismantled the Benin Empire, but tells them through an unexpected lens. Its heroine, Osamede, played by Ivie Okujaye, is an orphaned girl who must embrace her destiny and become the hero the Benin Kingdom desperately needs during its most trying times.
‘Osamede’ is directed by James Omokwe and executive produced by Lilain Olubi, with a cast that draws from both rising and established Nollywood talent. Alongside Okujaye are Lexan Aisosa Peters, William Benson, and Tosin Adeyemi, while veteran filmmaker Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen lends both his performance and his cultural weight to the project.
The trailer offers a taste of what the film promises: richly costumed warriors, fast-paced combat, and wide shots of Benin’s landscapes, alongside magical sequences that hint at Osamede’s transformation. But its appeal goes beyond spectacle. The film positions itself at the intersection of cultural memory and cinematic imagination, revisiting a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s past through the lens of a heroine’s awakening.
For Nollywood, ‘Osamede’ signals ambition. Large-scale fantasy dramas are still up and coming in the industry, where budgets and timelines can push productions toward the contemporary or domestic. Yet here is a film that embraces both risk and experimentation: combining historical grounding, feminist mythology, and a rapid 14-day production cycle, all while aiming for big-screen impact.
Slated for release on October 17, 2025, Its tagline; “Her power awakens”, feels apt not only for the story of its heroine, but for a wider moment in Nigerian cinema.
