WhatsApp made a movie with Giannis Antetokounmpo

On Sep 14, 2022

Its new short film stars NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo. | Image: Meta

Meta’s WhatsApp just released a trailer for its new short film about the story of NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, titled Naija Odyssey. The movie is a short film (12 minutes, according to Variety) focusing on the story of Antetokounmpo’s life.

The film appears to essentially be branded content, given that Antetokounmpo signed an endorsement deal with WhatsApp in February that made him the social media platform’s first brand spokesperson. So while this isn’t exactly the same as Apple jumping into film and TV with things like Coda and Ted Lasso, Naija Odyssey could be a sign that WhatsApp is exploring original content in some shape or form — even if it’s just for future branded opportunities.