The Story⚡
Funke Akindele’s latest film, Behind The Scenes, has officially become the highest-grossing Nigerian film ever, surpassing ₦2.5 billion in West Africa and setting a new benchmark for Nollywood both at home and abroad.
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FilmOne Entertainment, West Africa’s leading distributor of Nollywood and international content, has confirmed that Behind The Scenes has earned ₦2,505,882,930 at the box office to date. This figure eclipses Akindele’s previous record-holder, Everybody Loves Jenifa, which closed its 2024 theatrical run with ₦1,882,549,548.
The film has also performed strongly in international markets, generating approximately $440,000 in the UK, US, and Canada, making it the highest-grossing Nollywood release overseas to date.
This marks the first time FilmOne Entertainment has managed distribution for a title across both Nigeria and all major international territories. Previous releases, including last year’s films, were handled domestically by FilmOne while global markets were managed separately. The unified approach allowed for coordinated release timing, stronger cinema partnerships, and consistent engagement with diaspora audiences.
Kene Okwuosa, Group CEO of Filmhouse Group (which includes FilmOne Entertainment, Filmhouse Cinemas, and FilmOne Studios), described the results as a defining moment for the company and Nollywood’s theatrical business. “These results reflect what is possible when ambitious storytelling is matched with disciplined, globally aligned distribution,” he said.
Ladun Awobokun, Chief Content Officer at FilmOne Entertainment, noted that the film shows how Nollywood stories can succeed internationally when backed by a clear strategy and market knowledge. “This performance reinforces our commitment to building durable pathways for African content to succeed at scale,” she added.
Behind The Scenes builds on the strong foundations laid by Akindele’s earlier billion-naira hits, A Tribe Called Judah (2023) and Everybody Loves Jenifa (2024), while benefiting from FilmOne’s expanded global mandate.
In Summary
Behind The Scenes has grossed ₦2,505,882,930 in West Africa to become the highest-earning Nigerian film ever, while earning around $440,000 internationally to claim the same title overseas. Distributed globally for the first time by FilmOne Entertainment, the film demonstrates the impact of coordinated distribution and positions Nollywood as a growing force in worldwide theatrical markets.
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