Nollywood stars Ayo Makun (AY) and Omoni Oboli will make their Hollywood debut in a Christmas animation film titled Elliott: The Littlest Reindeer scheduled to premiere on December 14.
Directed by Jennifer Wescott and distributed by FilmOne Production the film also features Hunger Games star Josh Hutcherson, Dead Pool actress Morena Baccarin, Jeff Dunham, Martin Short and John Cleese.
The animation follows Blitzen – one of Santa’s sleigh-pulling reindeers – announcing his retirement on December 21, giving a miniature horse three days to fulfil his lifelong dream.
The horse has to earn a spot on Santa’s sleigh during the North Pole try-outs in time for Christmas Eve. Elliott and his friend Hazel set out to prove that no dream is too big if you believe in yourself.
Moses Babatope of FilmOne in a statement said the inclusion of the two Nigerian stars would pave way for more collaboration between Hollywood and Nollywood.
“AY and Omoni are two very talented/ground-breaking actors and producers who we have had been very fortunate to work with on varied projects; it was only a natural fit for this especially with two actors which such strong family values and family is very important to us at FilmOne.
“Their inclusion as part of the cast for this movie portends great things for future collaboration between Nollywood and Hollywood,” Babatope said.
Speaking on their involvement in the project, AY and Omoni expressed delight at playing a part in a project that would bring Christmas cheers to Nigerians.