Ann Njemanze demands ₦50 million from Zeb Ejiro for ‘Domitilla: The Reboot’

Premium Times reports that the Nollywood actress is suing the legendary filmmaker along with Filmone Entertainment and Film Trybe Media.

Njemanze, who rose to fame after playing the title character in the original 1996 film, registered the name ‘Domitilla’ on September 16, 2020.

This was the same year that Zeb Ejiro Productions, FilmOne Entertainment and Omoni Oboli’s Dioni Vision announced plans to make a sequel to the original film.

In addition to the ₦50 million, Njemanze is also seeking ₦5 million for the cost of litigation and attorneys’ fees incurred, as well as for a court order preventing the defendants or anyone else from using his trademark ( Domitila) or any other brand that is deceptively similar to the registered trademark.

While his legal representative, Bartholomew Aguegbodo, reportedly declined to comment on the matter, he confirmed to Premium Times that the case is in court.

The case was filed in the Federal High Court of Nigeria under application number FHC/L/CS/2305/2022.

The veteran filmmaker has reacted by presenting the actress with a counterclaim for 500 million pounds sterling.

He described his lawsuit as a gold panning exercise in a defense statement filed by his lawyers led by Rockson Igelige.

Speaking to Premium Times, Ejiro said: “I offered him £5 million, unaware that he had gone after me to register my intellectual property. I have been using the name for a long time. I have taken ‘Domitilla’ to film festivals all over the world. We had to abandon the script and start a new one. The next thing was that he came with the police calling a thief in public. He even went with the police to FilmOne, our partner, to search his office. I tried to contact her, but she refused to answer my calls. I had to ask the heads of different guilds to intervene.”

He also revealed that he offered her a role in the new version.

In his words, “Now it’s time for a reboot, but since she’s so much older now, we decided to cast her as the aunt of one of the characters, but she was asking £17m for just five scenes.”

Ejiro and the other defendants have issued a statement denying their allegations.

“The principal of the 1st Respondent (Zeb Ejiro Productions Limited) has been using the word continuously since 1996 in the marketing of the films prior to the date of the Claimant’s alleged application for registration or the alleged registration of ‘Domitilla & Device’ as a trademark. registered”, says his defense.

According to Ejiro’s legal representative, Igelige, he has been instructed by the filmmaker to file a counterclaim against the actress for breach of trust.

“We are going to ask you for 500 million pounds sterling for using confidential information to which you have access during your role as an actress in the production of ‘Domitilla’ 1 and 2,he told Premium Times.

The reboot of ‘Domitilla’ it will be released early next month. Like the original, it follows the sex workers, four in particular: Ekwutosi, Fisayo, Promise, and Madam Vee, and the choices they make and the ripple effects of their choices.

It stars Chiwetalu Agwu, Elvina Ibru, Onyinye Odokoro, Stan Nze, Teniola Aladese, Uzoamaka Doris Aniunoh, Ejiro Onojaife, Seun Ajayi, Okey Jude, Chioma Okafor, Chinyere Wilfred, and Sonny Mcdon.

For now, we don’t know if this ongoing lawsuit will affect the release of ‘Domitilla: The Reboot’, which is scheduled for release on April 7, 2023.