Funke Akindele has once again demonstrated her box office strength as her latest film, Behind the Scenes, crossed the ₦500 million mark at the Nigerian box office just two weeks after its theatrical release. The milestone further cements her reputation as one of Nollywood’s most bankable filmmakers at a time when sustained cinema success has become increasingly difficult to achieve.

Box office data released by FilmOne Entertainment and Nigerian Box Office shows that the film has grossed ₦514 million across cinemas in Nigeria and Ghana, making it the fastest Nollywood title to reach the ₦500 million mark. Distributors also confirmed that the movie ranked as the highest-grossing film of the weekend, extending its strong performance across multiple cinema locations.

The result builds on Akindele’s recent box office history. Her previous release, A Tribe Called Judah, ended its cinema run as the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time, earning over ₦1.4 billion. That performance reset expectations for local films and showed that Nollywood productions could sustain momentum over an extended theatrical window when audiences are fully engaged. The swift rise of Behind the Scenes suggests that Akindele has been able to carry that momentum forward, despite rising ticket prices and tighter consumer spending.

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The film’s performance has also drawn attention within the industry because of the broader economic pressures facing filmmakers. Production and distribution costs have increased significantly, placing more scrutiny on cinema returns. Akindele has previously disclosed that the production budget for Behind the Scenes exceeded ₦1 billion, raising the stakes for its box office outcome. Its rapid climb past ₦500 million has therefore been widely viewed as a strong vote of confidence from audiences.

Directed by Funke Akindele alongside Tunde Olaoye, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Destiny Etiko, Ibrahim Chatta, Ini Dima-Okojie, Iyabo Ojo, Tobi Bakre, Uzor Arukwe, and Victoria Adeleye. The 2-hour 24-minute drama, rated 12A, centres on Aderonke “Ronky-Fella” Faniran, a successful real estate entrepreneur whose generosity begins to take a personal toll, raising questions around boundaries, responsibility, and self-worth.

Behind the Scenes is currently screening in major cinema locations across Nigeria and Ghana, including Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, and Accra. Audience turnout has remained strong, with packed halls and steady ticket sales helping the film maintain momentum beyond its opening weekend.

That momentum was evident from its debut. The film generated over ₦200 million in its opening weekend, the highest opening-weekend gross recorded by a Nollywood film in 2025 so far. FilmOne reported that 34,548 tickets were sold between December 12 and 14, setting multiple opening-weekend records, including the highest admissions recorded in a single weekend this year.

Interest had been building well ahead of release. Advance screenings brought in ₦27.2 million in ticket sales, the highest advance total ever recorded for a Nollywood title. An earlier UK debut also recorded over 1,550 admissions and multiple sold-out screenings, pointing to sustained diaspora demand.

Reacting to the box office performance, Akindele thanked cinema audiences in Nigeria and Ghana, describing the run as a reflection of trust in the story and continued belief in Nollywood’s ability to deliver large-scale theatrical experiences.

With Behind the Scenes now joining A Tribe Called Judah as another major commercial success, Akindele’s track record continues to push the boundaries of what locally produced films can achieve at the box office, reinforcing the growing strength of Nigerian cinema.

Meiza Nigeria