Fela’s ‘Gentleman’ Set To Feature In Michael B. Jordan’s Hollywood Film
Fela’s ‘Gentleman’ Set To Feature In Michael B. Jordan’s Hollywood Film
The music of legendary Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, is set to receive fresh international exposure, with his iconic 1973 song, Gentleman, expected to feature in an upcoming Hollywood film, The Thomas Crown Affair.
The movie is being directed by and will star American actor Michael B. Jordan, with its theatrical release scheduled for March 5, 2027.
Other Hollywood stars expected to feature in the production include Adria Arjona, Kenneth Branagh, Lily Gladstone and Danai Gurira. Grammy-winning musician Jon Batiste is also attached to the project as the composer of the film’s original soundtrack.
Fela’s Gentleman was released in 1973 as the title track of his album of the same name. The song remains one of the celebrated works in his extensive musical catalogue, renowned for its bold criticism of cultural inferiority and the uncritical adoption of Western lifestyles by Africans.
In the song, Fela challenged Africans who abandoned their cultural identity and traditional values in an attempt to imitate Western ways of life. He used his music to question the mentality that associated Western culture with superiority while portraying African traditions as inferior.
More than five decades after its release, Gentleman remains relevant for its powerful message about African identity, cultural pride and self-confidence.
Its reported inclusion in The Thomas Crown Affair is expected to introduce Fela’s revolutionary sound and social commentary to a new generation of international audiences, further strengthening his enduring influence on global music and popular culture.
Fela, who died on August 2, 1997, aged 58, remains one of Africa’s most influential musical figures. Widely celebrated as the pioneer of Afrobeat, he used music as a powerful instrument of political resistance, social criticism and cultural expression.
His legacy continues to transcend generations and geographical boundaries, with his music attracting renewed global attention decades after his death.
