WhatsApp Funds Its First Original Content: Movie About The Life of NBA Champion Giannis Antetokounmpo
By Movieguide® Contributor
WhatsApp, the popular messaging app owned by Meta, is getting ready to release its first original content — a short film centered around NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo was named the 2021 NBA All-Star MVP and led the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA Finals that same year.
In the 12-minute movie, called NAIJA ODYSSEY, the basketball star talks about his early life and what led him to pursue a career in athletics. It’s also loosely based on the Greek epic, “The Odyssey.”
In a voiceover in the trailer, Antetokounmpo says, “In Greece, my teachers told stories of travelers battling the sea, fighting to find their way home — to find themselves. I was on that same journey.”
“NAIJA ODYSSEY is a story that reinforces how WhatsApp helps us embrace our multifaceted lives,” said Vivian Odior, WhatsApp’s global head of marketing. “In navigating relationships, identity, and even adversity, WhatsApp is there — enabling you to embrace all sides of you by connecting you to those who matter most.”
NAIJA ODYSSEY will be available to stream on Amazon Prime on September 21.
Antetokounmpo is also the subject of another documentary, Disney+’s RISE. Movieguide®’s review reads:
Streaming on Disney Plus, RISE is the inspirational true story of a close-knit, Nigerian-Greek immigrant family’s journey to produce the first three brothers ever to star in the NBA. Vera and Charles flee from Nigeria to make a dangerous trek to build a better life in Greece. They work hard as a family to survive. The oldest boys discover a free basketball clinic. Their abundance of natural talent is soon uncovered. To get to the pros, however, they must have legal status. Against all odds, they team up with a new agent, but can they succeed, and can the family stay together?
RISE is an excellent movie with plenty of heart and soul. The audience rides the waves of the family’s struggle to overcome through faith, prayer, hope, and love. The movie tries to take on too much to cover 25 years. This leads to some confusion and some gaps in the story. However, the acting in RISE is superb, which results in a wonderful portrayal of an incredibly lovable family. We laugh with them. We cry with them. We win with them. Bravo!
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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