IREKE: Rise of the Maroons Brings Epic History and Rebellion to Cinemas This July

Prepare for a bold cinematic journey that spans continents, unearths betrayal, and ignites revolution. IREKE: Rise of the Maroons, a sweeping historical drama directed by Gbolahan Peter Macjob, is set to premiere in cinemas across the UK and Nigeria from July 25, 2025, and it’s already being hailed as one of the most ambitious African-led productions of the year.

Set in 17th-century West Africa, IREKE tells the powerful story of Prince Atanda, a young heir whose life is ripped apart by treachery and colonial greed. His uncle, played by Kolawole Ajeyemi, betrays the royal bloodline by murdering Atanda’s father (Antar Laniyan) and colluding with British soldiers to sell the boy into slavery all in a bid to usurp the throne of Ile Wura.

From the golden kingdom of his childhood to the backbreaking fields of a Jamaican sugarcane plantation, Atanda (portrayed by Tobi Bakre in a commanding lead performance) is thrust into a world of brutality, loss, and resistance. There, under the iron grip of Master Gerard (Demetri Turin) and the poisonous cruelty of Lady Catherine (Alex Franklyn), he finds a forbidden yet tender connection with Adunni (Atlanta Bridget Johnson), a house slave whose strength makes her both a light and a target.

But when Adunni is falsely accused of witchcraft a trap spun by Catherine and her scheming maid Toro (Genevieve Edwin) the fragile facade of plantation life crumbles. What follows is an explosive turn of events that pulls Atanda into the heart of a rebellion led by the elusive and commanding Priestess of the Maroons, played by Faithia Williams Balogun.

Featuring a cast of Nollywood and international heavyweights including Westy Baba, Femi Branch, Antar Laniyan, Mofe Duncan, Bolanle Ninalowo, and more, IREKE is both a harrowing historical epic and a soulful exploration of identity, power, and resistance.

With richly layered performances, lush visuals, and a storyline steeped in West African history and Jamaican Maroon legacy, IREKE: Rise of the Maroons is a reclaiming of ancestral narrative, told with grit, beauty, and unapologetic truth.

🎟️ Will be showing in cinemas across Nigeria and the UK from July 25, 2025.

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