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“Clarissa” Brings a Nigerian Adaptation of Mrs Dalloway to Cannes Film Festival
Nigerian twin directors Arie and Chuko Esiri‘s new film, “Clarissa”, a Lagos-set adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s 1925 novel “Mrs Dalloway”, made its world premiere on May 16 in the prestigious Directors’ Fortnight section, and the film has received strong reviews from critics Cannes. Shot entirely on 35mm film, was led by Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo, the film marks one of the most prominent Nigerian entries at this year’s festival.
The story follows “Clarissa”, a wealthy Lagos high-society matriarch, as she spends a single day preparing to host a party at her waterfront home. As guests from her past begin to reappear, old memories, buried feelings, and unfinished stories come rushing back. The Esiri’s have taken Woolf’s themes of class, regret, and social performance and replanted them squarely in modern Nigeria.
The adaption places greater emphasis on class divisions and Nigerian’s political tensions. A crooked mosaic of Nigeria hangs on a wall throughout the film, with characters constantly trying to straighten it but never quite managing. The Big Ben clock chimes that run through Woolf’s original are replaced here by Islamic prayers over loudspeakers.

Photo: Instagram
Sophie Okonedo plays the present-day “Clarissa”, with David Oyelowo as her old friend and former admirer Peter. India Amarteifio of “Bridgerton” plays young “Clarissa”, Ayo Edebiri of “The Bear” takes on young Sally, Toheeb Jimoh of “Ted Lasso” plays young Peter, and Nikki Amuka-Bird appears as the present-day Sally. Fortune Nwafor plays Septimus, a soldier returning from fighting Boko Haram in the north. The screenplay was written by Chuko Esiri. US studio Neon, known for backing major Cannes titles, acquired the film back in November 2025 before it even reached Cannes.
The reviews coming out of the festival have been strongly positive across the board. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw gave it four stars, calling it a seductively mysterious, mesmeric drama with commanding performances. Variety’s Jessica Kiang headlined her review “Sophie Okonedo Illuminates a Quietly Dazzling Nigerian Reinterpretation of Mrs Dalloway.” The Hollywood Reporter’s Lovia Gyarkye called it a quiet revelation, and RogerEbert.com critic Brian Tallerico declared it one of the better films he expects to see this year. The film also received a standing ovation at its Directors’ Fortnight screening.

Photo: Instagram
For Nigerian cinema, the film represents a significant Cannes breakthrough. The Esiri brothers have taken Nigerian stories, Nigerian faces, and a very Nigerian reality to one of the most watched film festivals in the world. With Neon already behind it and the international press firmly on board, “Clarissa” is not just a festival win. It is proof that when Nigerian filmmakers are given the space and resources to tell their stories fully, the world will show up to watch.
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Tyler Perry Reveals Why He Has Chosen to Stay Away From Marriage
Tyler Perry has explained why he has no plans to get married, saying his decision is influenced by what he has seen people lose financially after divorce.
The actor, filmmaker and producer spoke about his decision during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show while promoting his new Netflix film, Why Did I Get Married Again? The movie is the third instalment in Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? franchise, which began in 2007.
When Jennifer Hudson asked Perry if he planned to get married, he answered, “Nope.” When asked if he simply did not want to marry, Perry clarified that marriage itself was not his concern.

Photo: Instagram/@tylerperry
“It’s not the marriage that bothers me. It’s the divorce,” he said.
Perry explained that he has seen financially successful people go broke after divorce.
“Everybody that I know that did well and went broke, it was because of a divorce,” he added.
His Why Did I Get Married? films have followed couples dealing with problems in their relationships, even as Perry has chosen not to marry in his own life.
Perry, 57, was previously in a long-term relationship with model and filmmaker Gelila Bekele. The pair were together from 2009 to 2020 and share an 11-year-old son, Aman.
During an appearance on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle, he said he plans to move to Puerto Rico with Aman at the beginning of 2027 and cut back on his workload.

Photo: Instagram/@tylerperry
“Yes, I’m moving to Puerto Rico at the beginning of the year and I’m going to slow down a whole lot,” Perry said.
Meanwhile, Why Did I Get Married Again? continues the story of the couples from the earlier films. The new movie takes the characters to Lake Como, Italy, for the destination wedding of Marcus and Angela’s daughter.
Perry wrote, directed and stars in the film, which also features returning cast members Jill Scott, Tasha Smith, Michael Jai White, Richard T. Jones, Sharon Leal and Lamman Rucker, with Taraji P. Henson also joining the cast.
Why Did I Get Married Again? began streaming on Netflix on September 9, 2026.
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Ciara Is Pregnant, Expecting Her Fifth Child With Russell Wilson
Ciara and her husband, Russell Wilson, are expecting another child. The couple announced the pregnancy on September 6, 2026.
The news was shared through a joint Instagram post featuring photos and videos of Ciara showing off her growing baby bump. In one of the clips, she is seen hanging white shirts on a clothesline, with each shirt representing one of her children. A blank baby onesie is then shown to represent the newest addition to the family.

Photo: Instagram/@dangerusswilson
The couple captioned the announcement, “One more person to Love.” They also appeared together holding up five fingers.
Ciara already has four children. She shares 12-year-old Future Zahir with rapper Future, while she and Wilson are parents to 9-year-old Sienna Princess, 6-year-old Win Harrison and 2-year-old Amora Princess. The new baby will therefore be Ciara’s fifth child and Wilson’s fourth.

Photo: Instagram/@dangerusswilson
Read Also: Ciara Traces Her Roots to Benin Republic
The pregnancy comes after years of Wilson openly talking about wanting another child. Shortly after Amora was born in December 2023, Wilson joked about having a fifth baby, referring to the idea as “Cinco.” Ciara was open to the idea.

Photo: Instagram/@dangerusswilson
Wilson again spoke about the possibility in July 2026, saying that he was trying to convince Ciara to have a fifth child. He said the couple already had four amazing children and hoped “Cinco” would happen.
Ciara and Wilson got married in 2016. Wilson retired from professional football in June 2026. He has joined CBS Sports as a broadcaster.
The couple has not yet announced the baby’s sex or name. Their pregnancy announcement is a welcomed development for the couples.
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Shakira Reveals She Waited 20 Days for Burna Boy’s Verse on the FIFA World Cup Song “Dai Dai”
Colombian music star Shakira has shared a behind-the-scenes story about her collaboration with Nigerian Grammy winner Burna Boy on the 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem during a recent appearance on the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill, revealing that she waited nearly three weeks before receiving his contribution to the song.
Speaking about how the collaboration came together, the singer explained that Burna Boy sent his verse 20 days after agreeing to be part of the project. Despite the delay, she said she remained confident that he would deliver because she was determined to have him on the record.

Photo: Instagram
“I called him and I was like, ‘Hey, are you down to do this?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, why not?’… I was like waiting for 20 days for him to send something and I’m like, ‘Okay, maybe he’s not gonna do it.’ But then he sent his magic and it was just absolutely perfect,” Shakira said.
Shakira also explained why she specifically reached out to the African Giant hitmaker. According to her, she had been a fan of his music for years and wanted a distinctive male voice that could match the energy and global appeal of the World Cup.

Photo: Instagram/@shakira
“And I’ve always loved Burna, like I always wanted to do something with him,” Shakira said. She praised his unique vocal style, adding, “I think his voice is just, it works so well on this song, so well. I couldn’t imagine anybody else on it, actually.”
The collaboration resulted in “Dai Dai,” the official song released for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The track brought together two internationally recognised artists, pairing Shakira’s long-running connection with FIFA World Cup music with Burna Boy’s contribution to the tournament’s latest anthem.

Photo: Instagram
The 2026 project also added another chapter to Shakira’s history with the FIFA World Cup. She performed “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, the official song of the 2010 tournament in South Africa, before releasing “La La La” for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Her collaboration with Burna Boy on “Dai Dai” continued that association, this time alongside one of Africa’s biggest music stars.
Looking back on the collaboration, Shakira said Burna Boy’s contribution justified the wait. Although she admitted she briefly wondered whether he would eventually send his verse, she said the finished record confirmed why she had wanted him on the song from the beginning, describing his contribution as “absolutely perfect”.
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