John Boyega to develop African films under new deal with Netflix

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John Boyega may be best known for his starring role in the Star Wars franchise, but the British-Nigerian actor has his sights set on content creation and just nabbed a new deal with Netflix.

The deal was inked between Boyega’s UpperRoom Productions imprint and the digital streaming service to develop films centered in West and East Africa, Deadline reports.

“I am thrilled to partner with Netflix to develop a slate of non-English language feature films focused on African stories, and my team and I are excited to develop original material,” Boyega said in a statement. “We are proud to grow this arm of our business with a company that shares our vision.”

READ MORE: ‘Rise of Skywalker’ star John Boyega on Black Brits In Hollywood: ‘Maybe there is a bias’

The company confirmed it  “will develop film projects based on stories, cast, characters, crew, literary properties, mythology, screenplays and/or other elements in or around African countries,” in a statement released Tuesday.

Netflix has already made major strides when it comes to serving up content from Africa. On Feb. 28, they dropped Queen Sono, a six-part drama series set in Africa. They’re also readying two more African originals; an animated series called Mama K’s Team 4 and a South African teen drama entitled Blood & Water.

“Africa has a rich history in storytelling, and for Netflix, this partnership with John and UpperRoom presents an opportunity to further our investment in the continent while bringing unique African stories to our members both in Africa and around the world,” said David Kosse, VP of international film at Netflix.