While everyone is waiting (breathlessly, in our case, we are ashamed to admit) for The Wedding Party, we have been monitoring that other EbonyLife film project, Dere.

From the producers of Desperate Housewives Africa comes, essentially, Cinderella Africa.

“The upcoming mini-series (directed by O-Town) revolves around Dere, named ‘Cinderella’ by her eccentric paternal grandmother,” according to the company. “She is the precocious, beautiful, naive, indulged and only child of the Kosoko’s, who graduated with a first from St. Andrews University in Scotland, studying Law and International relations.

“She is an avid social media user, reader and film enthusiast. Once back in Nigeria, her long-term boyfriend dumps her, increasing her sense of isolation, desperation and desolation.”

And as long as trying to attract a “premium audience” goes, they cast right with Weruche Opia (whose IJGB accent threatens to drown you in When Love Happens Again) and Shaffy Bello, with Gbenro Ajibade looking quite the part as far as we can see in the trailer.

We know you’re rolling your eyes. We know you’re thinking ‘why not a film about, say, Agbani Darego’.

We know, we know. But as always, we confess bias towards EbonyLife. Because, at the very least, they make an effort.

And you go tire. They are doubling down, in fact.

According to the network, it will produce soon be hitting you left right and center with African versions of “Robin Hood,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Prodigal Son”, “David and Goliath,” and “Samson and Delilah”. 

Fasten your seat belts.