The trailer for Clarissa, a new Lagos-set adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway, is here, and it is giving audiences their first proper look at the Nigerian film that has already made its way through the international festival circuit.
Directed by Nigerian twin brothers Arie and Chuko Esiri, Clarissa stars Sophie Okonedo in the title role, alongside Ayo Edebiri, David Oyelowo, India Amarteifio, Toheeb Jimoh, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Fortune Nwafor.
The film moves Woolf’s 1925 novel from London to contemporary Lagos. It follows Clarissa, a society woman preparing to host a party at her home, whose plans take an unexpected turn when she encounters old friends and is drawn back into memories of past relationships, desires and choices.
The new trailer moves between Clarissa’s present life and her younger years, with India Amarteifio playing the younger Clarissa and Ayo Edebiri appearing as young Sally. David Oyelowo plays Peter, while Toheeb Jimoh portrays his younger counterpart.
The story also follows Septimus, played by Fortune Nwafor, a soldier whose experience fighting Boko Haram forms the film’s parallel storyline, echoing the structure of Woolf’s original novel.
Clarissa first premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in Directors’ Fortnight, making it an early international showcase for the Esiri brothers’ second feature. The film has since continued its festival journey, including screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival.
The film was shot on 35mm film in Nigeria and uses both English and Nigerian Pidgin. Its visual world is rooted in contemporary Lagos, with the city and its social divisions becoming part of the story rather than simply serving as a backdrop.
For the Esiri brothers, Clarissa follows their 2020 debut feature, Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), which also explored contemporary Lagos and premiered internationally at the Berlin International Film Festival.
NEON is set to release Clarissa in select U.S. cinemas on December 11, 2026, with a wider release planned. The film also has upcoming festival screenings, including Film Africa in London later this month.
For Nigerian film lovers, the trailer offers a chance to finally see more of the Lagos world the Esiri brothers have been building around Woolf’s classic.
Now, the countdown to December begins. 🎬
