Funke Akindele has once again reset the standard for Nollywood. With a record-breaking opening weekend, Behind The Scenes signals a new era for high-budget African cinema and theatrical confidence across the continent.
LAGOS, Nigeria — December 16, 2025 — Nigerian actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has opened 2025 with a new commercial milestone after her latest release, Behind The Scenes, crossed the ₦200 million mark in its first three days in cinemas, according to figures compiled by Nigerian cinema chains and industry box office trackers.
Updated 11:45 WAT
The film earned more than ₦200 million ($127,000) between December 12 and 14, making it the fastest Nollywood title this year to reach the benchmark. Distribution data cited by local exhibitors shows Behind The Scenes also recorded the strongest weekend turnout of 2025, drawing 34,548 admissions nationwide.
Industry analysts say the result reinforces Akindele’s dominance in Nigeria’s theatrical market, where consistent box office performance remains rare amid rising production costs and uneven cinema attendance. Cinema operators told local media the film’s early momentum was driven by strong advance bookings, wide release across major multiplexes, and Akindele’s established audience base.
Reactions from across the industry have been swift. Film distributors described the opening as “a clear signal of renewed confidence in premium Nollywood releases,” while cinema managers in Lagos and Abuja said the title outperformed competing holiday releases over the same period. On social media, audiences praised the film’s scale and production quality, with many citing it as evidence of Nollywood’s growing ambition.
The opening adds to Akindele’s record-breaking run. According to Nigerian box office rankings published in 2024, her previous film, Everybody Loves Jenifa, closed its theatrical run with more than ₦1.8 billion in ticket sales, the highest-ever gross for a Nollywood production. Trade publications have repeatedly credited that success with reshaping investor expectations around local films.
Produced on a reported budget exceeding ₦1 billion, Behind The Scenes sits among the most expensive Nigerian films ever mounted. Analysts say its early performance challenges the long-held view that high-budget African films struggle to recoup costs through cinema exhibition alone.
For West Africa’s creative economy, the result carries broader implications. Nigeria remains the continent’s largest film market by volume, and sustained theatrical successes are increasingly watched by producers in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa, ca assessing the viability of large-scale local productions.
Entertainment economists note that strong openings help strengthen downstream revenues, including streaming licensing, regional distribution, and international sales.
Exhibitors expect the film to benefit from the year-end holiday window, traditionally Nollywood’s strongest box office period. Analysts will be watching whether Behind The Scenes maintains momentum beyond its opening weeks and how close it comes to challenging existing all-time records.
For now, the opening weekend performance cements Akindele’s position at the top of Nigeria’s commercial film industry and underscores a broader shift toward premium, cinema-first African storytelling.
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