Why Nollywood Actor Jim Iyke Was Dropped From John Kiriamiti Movie Cast

                                          

@durkchild
Nollywood actor Jim Iyke will not play the role of John Kirimamiti in an adaptation of Kiriamiti's three best-selling novels ; My Life In Crime, My Life With A Criminal and My Life In Prison.


Jim Iyke had been handpicked to play Kiriamiti early last year in what the movie producer Niel Schell, says was a marketing strategy  to “get marketable people to act in the movie. This makes it easy to sell it to the wider African market and beyond.”
Following a press conference of The Broadcasting, Film and Music Africa ongoing conference at KICC the movie script writer, Serah Mwihaki said Jim Iyke was dropped as result of budget constrains. "Budget needed to be slashed a lot and filming has been pushed to get an actor who won't cost as much," Mwihaki added.
This news will be welcome to Kenyan actor Gerald Langiri who had written an article expressing dissatisfaction with the producer's choice for a Nigerian actor for the main role over a Kenyan.
"Now, much has already been said about the role of John Kiriamiti (Jack Zollo being played by Nigerian actor, producer and musician Jim Iyke. As a passionate film enthusiast and a Kenyan patriot who believes in my fellow actors’ ability to be molded in to any role, that fact is still hitting me hard like labour pains.
I am certain that Kenyan actors whose bread and butter is being in front of a camera feel the same way. The major reason for this growing and careless trend is in the hope that Jim Iyke will give the film an international and regional appeal (according to its producers). REALLY?

The role of Jack Zollo is now most likely to be played by Lenana Kabira whom Kiriamiti said has an "uncanny resemblance to his son" as reported by Word Is' Grace Kerongo. The news will be music to the ears of Kenya's acting fraternity who were opposed to having the Nigerian take up a role that Kenyan can comfortably play.

Courtesy Vibeweekly