Netflix Rejection Nearly Shattered Me – Filmmaker Arese Ugwu
Nigerian author and filmmaker Arese Ugwu has opened up about a painful rejection she received from Netflix, revealing that the streaming giant’s refusal to support an expansion of her TV series The Smart Money Woman nearly broke her.
Speaking in a recent interview with Afropolitan, Ugwu recounted how the first season of the show – based on her bestselling book – received widespread acclaim and strong viewership, airing on Africa Magic and ranking in Netflix Nigeria’s top 10 for 13 consecutive weeks. Encouraged by its success, she approached Netflix for funding to scale the production, but the proposal was declined.
“We were able to produce Season 1 of The Smart Money Woman and got a fantastic reception,” she said. “I then approached Netflix for sponsorship to make the project bigger and better, and shockingly, they turned me down. That rejection almost broke me.”
Ugwu, 39, also shared her ambition to be recognised as more than just an author whose work was adapted for screen. She expressed a desire to solidify her identity as a filmmaker in her own right.
“I want to establish myself as a filmmaker,” she said. “I feel like some people still see me as the girl who wrote a book that was turned into a TV series.”
Her remarks highlight the challenges local creatives often face when seeking support to elevate African storytelling to a global standard.
