‘Bob Marley: One Love’ generates huge media value for Jamaica

The Jamaican premiere of ' Bob Marley: One Love' biopic, held at the Carib 5 cinema in Kingston, has proven to be a lucrative venture.

Shullette Cox, president of the Jamaica Promotions Corporation, said the country has been benefiting greatly from the media value created by the movie.

"Within the first 12 hours of the premiere, based on numbers that I have seen, the premiere generated over a million pounds in the United Kingdom and in the first 24 hours, $1.9 billion in the United States of America," Cox said.

This significant media value, Cox emphasised, is merely the beginning, with the London premiere having yet to be evaluated, along with the Hollywood premiere.

Media value refers to the quantifiable worth, or monetary value, derived from exposure or coverage gained through various media channels, such as television, radio, print, online platforms, and social media. It is a measure of the estimated financial value of the visibility, reach, and impact generated by media coverage or advertising.

Cox expressed optimism that this exposure would translate into increased interest in visiting Jamaica, the birthplace of the legendary reggae icon.

Speaking at the recent launch of the Jamaica Screen Development Initiative (JSDI) at the Office of the Prime Minister, Cox underscored the importance of investing in the creative sector, citing Bob Marley: One Love as a prime example.

The biopic, which delves into the life of the late reggae legend Robert 'Nesta' Marley and was partially filmed in Jamaica, serves as a poignant reminder of the storytelling prowess of the Jamaican people, according to Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange.

The launch of the JSDI was lauded by Grange as a vital step towards bolstering the local film industry, offering crucial support to Jamaican film-makers in scriptwriting, distribution, and funding. With aspirations to establish Jamaica's own cinematic identity akin to other countries, Grange proposed the concept of 'Jollywood',

"Perhaps, now, we can join India's Bollywood, Nigeria's Nollywood, and create Jamaica's own film industry - Jollywood," she said.