Along time ago in a .. market in Lagos
In the bustling streets of Lagos, a group of young filmmakers were hard at work crafting their latest project, “Eko Space Wars: The Battle for Lagos”. This epic adventure followed the journey of young Jedi warrior, Jide Obi, as he fought to save the retro future city of Lagos from the evil forces of the Empire.
The film was a masterful blend of African culture and sci-fi tropes, with Jide Obi’s journey taking him through the colorful markets of Lagos and into the heart of the sprawling city. But it wasn’t just the setting that made “Eko Space Wars” so unique โ it was also the cast of characters.
Joining Jide Obi on his quest were the droids R4-N4 and C3P3, who provided comic relief throughout the film. And of course, no space adventure would be complete without a villainous antagonist โ in this case, the imposing masked Major Dare Vanderbilt, who was voiced by a deep and commanding voice actor.
As “Eko Space Wars” gained popularity among local audiences, it inspired a wave of low-budget remakes across Nigeria. One such film was “Kano Star Chronicles”, which featured a cast of mostly unknown actors and a plot that closely followed the original “Star Wars” story.
In “Kano Star Chronicles”, the droids were renamed R3-K3 and CP-15, and were portrayed as lazy and bumbling sidekicks who stumbled their way through the adventure. Meanwhile, the villainous role of Darth Vader was replaced by the sinister Dark Lord Mukhtar, whose menacing presence sent chills down the spines of viewers.
Despite the low budget and campy production values, “Kano Star Chronicles” was a hit among Nigerian audiences, who appreciated its clever blend of sci-fi and African culture. And as more and more filmmakers were inspired by the success of “Eko Space Wars”, the Nigerian sci-fi cinema scene continued to grow and thrive.