Abel Mutua and Phil Karanja land lucrative Netflix deal
Scriptwriter and actor Abel Mutua, along with his business partner, director and actor Phillip ‘Phil’ Karanja are poised to receive a substantial payout of at least $60,000 (Sh8.8 million) from the sale of their 2020 movie, “Click Click Bang,” to Netflix, the popular American video-on-demand streaming platform.
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The Netflix deal marks a significant achievement for the creative duo, as their movie has been chosen for a rerun on the streaming service.
A veteran film producer who has his film on Netflix spoke to Nairobi News on condition of anonymity and revealed that Netflix paid a lucrative sum of $60,000 for the flick.
The filmmaker believes that Phil is likely to receive a similar payment for the rerun of “Click Click Bang.”
Abel Mutua disclosed that “Click Click Bang” generated Sh9 million when it premiered in 2020. From the movie’s gross revenue, Abel and Phil managed to secure a profit of Sh2 million, considering they had invested Sh7 million in production and distribution expenses.
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Abel Mutua highlighted their financial success: “From pre-production to marketing, we’ve used Sh7m. The returns are almost hitting millions, so it was successful. We really appreciate it because most film projects don’t make a profit.”
Abel and Phil joined forces in 2012 to establish their production company, Phil-It Productions, following their exit from the popular television show “Tahidi High.”
One of their first productions under Phil-It was the comical series “The Real Househelps of Kawangware,” which catapulted comedians Timothy ‘Njugush’ Kimani and Steven ‘DJ Shiti’ Oduor to stardom.
Phil Karanja explained that it was a collaboration with Protel Studios, who owned the Intellectual Property Rights. Their role was primarily focused on creative aspects, including scripting, casting, and directing.
In 2016, Phil-It produced its first independent film, the “Sue Na Johnnie” series, which was later picked up by Showmax in 2017.
The success of “Sue Na Johnnie” opened doors to more opportunities for Abel Mutua and Phil Karanja, paving the way for their continued success in the entertainment industry.
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