INDUSTRY DEALINGS

Why Butita kept Netflix gig secret

He was surprised by the deal and short on details

In Summary

• Even he himself did not know he was being contracted by Netflix until he bought idea

Butita
Butita
Image: Courtesy

Comedian Eddie Butita did not tell his close friends and family about working for Netflix.

He scripted and directed the Swahili version of 'Upshaws', an American sitcom created by Wanda Sykes and Regina Y Hicks.

In an interview on 'Bonga na Jalas', Butita said the deal got him by surprise and he did not take it seriously at first.

The Hiventy Africa group did not also want to share all the details about the project before having Butita on board.

"I kept asking what the nature of the work was and how it would be distributed, but they were very secretive," he said.

"They kept saying the film was a feature for video-on-demand platforms but never made it clear that it was Netflix until I was deeply involved in the project and I showed interest."

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