The comedy drama tells the story of two people from different background who must work together to retrieve a stolen passport in time for an important flight.
By Helena Olori
After its successful theatrical release, Passport by Vincent Okonkwo, a highly anticipated comedy drama, will be available for streaming on Netflix starting June 2. Initially released on September 2, 2022, the film had an eight-week run in cinemas, earning an impressive box office record of 86 million naira across 56 cinema locations in Nigeria and Ghana.
Written by Abosi Ogba, and directed by Dimeji Ajibola, the film is a fine blend of crime and comedy that follows Oscar (played by Jim Iyke), a wealthy young man desperately searching for his missing passport so he can visit his ailing mother in the United Kingdom. To aid his quest, Oscar enlists the help of his uncle (Jide Kosoko) and the semi-literate, street-smart tomboy Kopiko, (Mercy Johnson).
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The film features an impressive cast, including Mercy Johnson-Okojie Jim Iyke, Adedimeji Lateef, Zubby Michael, Lina Idoko, Emem Ufot, Jide Kosoko, Emeka Nwagbaraocha, Lawal Bolaji Nasiru (NasBoi), Daniel Abua, Stephen Damian, and Caroline Igben.
Passport debuted as the number one Nollywood film at the box office during its opening weekend, maintaining the top spot for three consecutive weeks in Nigeria and West Africa. It was also the third Nollywood film in 2022 to achieve the number one ranking during its opening weekend and had the highest opening weekend for a comedy film in 2022. The film became the second highest-grossing Nollywood release of the year.
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In addition to its box office success, Mercy Johnson Okojie, the lead actress in the film, received a nomination in the Best Actress category at the recently concluded 2023 African Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA).
The 120-minute-long film, produced by Okonkwo under his production label, VSL Media, is the third feature film from the company, and is distributed by FilmOne Entertainment.
Passport will be available for streaming on Netflix starting Friday, June 2nd, 2023.