Nigerian author and filmmaker, Arese Ugwu, has shared the story of how Netflix’s rejection of her proposal for a larger-scale partnership nearly broke her.
Ugwu’s TV show, The Smart Money Woman, was a success on both Africa Magic and Netflix in 2021, but when she approached Netflix for sponsorship to expand the project, she was turned down.
Speaking in a recent interview with Afropolitan, Ugwu revealed that the rejection was a significant setback for her.
Ugwu said “We were able to produce Season 1 of The Smart Money Woman and got a fantastic reception on Africa Magic and Netflix. We were in the top 10 for 13 weeks on Netflix.
“I then approached Netflix for sponsorship to make the project bigger and better, and shockingly, they turned me down. That rejection almost broke me.”
Despite the show’s popularity, ranking in the top 10 on Netflix for 13 weeks, the streaming giant’s decision not to partner with her on a larger scale was disheartening.
Ugwu also expressed her desire to be recognized as a filmmaker in her own right, rather than just the author whose book was adapted into a TV series. She hopes to establish herself in the industry and prove her capabilities beyond her literary work.
