The Story ⚡
Nollywood’s Summer Blockbuster is established to be films released during the December period. Here is a box office rundown of the biggest December hits from 2018 – 2022
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From stories about the Nigerian upper class, family mishaps, wedding parties and sudden wealth, here are the movies that have performed excellently on the big screens.
10 . Your Excellency
Your Excellency directed by Funke Akindele and produced by Ebonylife Studios was released on 13th December 2019.
The title follows Chief Olalekan Ajadi, a bumbling, billionaire businessman and failed presidential candidate, who is obsessed with Donald Trump. Just when his campaign looks set to be another disaster, Ajadi is anointed by a major party and becomes a credible contender, all through the power of social media
Starring Funke Akindele, Toni Tones, Akin Lewis, Shaffy Bello, Deyemi Okanlawon, Alex Ekubo, Mike Afolarin, Kemi Lala Akindoju and Osas Ighodaro.
The movie Your Excellency had a box office record of N186,340,948.
9. Merry Men 2
Merry Men 2 is the second release of Ayo Makun’s ongoing Merry Men series which was released to the cinemas on 20th December 2019.
The feature follows friends who have a past history with crime but an old enemy resurfaces with threat and demand. Cast includes Uchemba Williams, Ramsey Noah, Jim Iyke, Ayo Makun, Damilola Adegbite, Rosaline Meurer and Regina Daniels.
The filmmaker Ayo Makun is a homegrown brand with quite a large number of making the franchise a success with the sequel wrapping up its theatrical run with a sum of N234,505,169 in 2019.
8. Christmas in Miami
Christmas in Miami is also one of Ayo Makun’s comedy films released on 24th December 2021. It is a story of a U.S real estate mogul, who established The Olympics of Christmas among six families from diverse nations in the world to spend a week together.
The movie stars the legendary actor Mofe Damijo, Osita Iheme, Ayo Makun and other actors across the globe such as John Amos, Manoj Chandra, Verne Alexandre, Kent Morita and Barry Piacente.
Christmas In Miami made a sum of N265,583,000 at the box office.
7. Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper
Toyin Abraham broke her own record with the Ijakumo film which was released on 23rd December, 2022. Coming from someone who started in the Yoruba Nollywood industry, although taking quite a number of English film roles, Toyin did impress her fans with the Ijakumo movie.
This movie stars Nollywood’s favourite Kunle Remi who plays the role of a flamboyant pastor whose source of power and wealth is a fetish. His destruction became close as he fell for an exotic dancer which was part of his ex-lover’s plan to destroy him.
The rest of the cast includes Toyin Abraham, Lolade Okunsanya, Olumode Owuru, Debbie Shokoya, Bimbo Akintola and Lilian Afegbai.
Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper made N278,496,384 at the box office to rank
6. Sugar Rush
Directed by Kayode Kausm and Produced by Jadeosiberu, Sugar Rush was released on 25th December 2019 in which Adesua Etomi, Bisola Aiyeola and Bimbo Ademoye starred in the lead roles and then became the fourth highest-grossing movie that year.
Sugar Rush is directed by Kayode Kasum and produced by Ambimbola Craig. It made a whooping amount of #40 million in its first opening week and the sum of N287,053,000 in its total box office data.
5. Chief Daddy
Chief Daddy was released on 14th December 2018, directed by Niyi Akinmolayan and produced by Mo Abudu.
Chief Daddy tells the story of a billionaire industrialist with a big family and many mistresses who suddenly dies leaving the family in disarray over who’s entitled to his wealth and properties.
It stars Ini Edo, Rachael Oniga, Kate Henshaw, Beverly Naya, Joke Silva, Funke Akindele, Falz, Zainab Balogun and Beverly Osu.
Chief Daddy’s theatrical outing was very impressive in 2018 as it minted a box office number of N387,540,749.
4. The Wedding Party 2
The Wedding Party 2 is a continuation of the beautiful movie that was released on 15th December 2017. The wedding Party gained a lot of attention from Nigerians with fantastic actors like Adesuwa Etomi, Banky W, Ireti Doyle, Richard Mofe Damijo, Eyinna Nwingwe, Daniella Down, Sola Sobowale, Zainab Balogun and Alibaba Akpobome.
The Wedding Party 2 made a sum of N433,197,377 at the box office.
3. The Wedding Party
The Wedding Party is a romcom drama directed by Kemi Adetiba which tells a story of the chaos that erupted between exes, parents and uninvited guests on the wedding day of Dunni Coker and her partner.
The Wedding Party was released into the cinema on 16th December 2016 and eventually became the highest-grossing film the same year with a box office number of N452,288,605.
2. Omo Ghetto: The Saga
Omo Ghetto: The Saga, produced by the mother of Nollywood’s highest-grossing films Funke Akindele.
This movie is a rebranding of Funke’s longstanding movie ‘Omo Ghetto’, which gained a lot of attention from its loyal audiences. It was released on 25th December 2020.
Omo Ghetto: The Saga not only became the highest-grossing movie but also broke records with its numbers. The first ever film to hit the grossing number of N636,129,120.
1. Battle On Buka Street
Battle on Bukka Street directed by Funke Akindele and Tobi Makinde.
The film was released on 16th December 2022 with A list cast that includes Funke Akindele, Mercy Johnson, Moshood Fattah, Bimbo Ademoye, Wunmi Toriola, Tobi Makinde, Mike Afolarin, Sola Sobowale and host of others.
Battle On Buka Street tells the story of a lifetime rivalry among two half-sisters who constantly pick at themselves even as they start food businesses.
The comedy-drama is now the highest-grossing film of all time, totalling N668,423,056 in 2022.
2023 December
Another December is here again and the air is quite captivating in the Nollywood industry as reputable veterans are having their films released this month.
As usual, Funke Akindele also known by many as the mother of highest-grossing films will be releasing her new movie ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ on the 15th of December 2023.
Then, Mercy Aigbe who has also spent over twenty years in the industries is having her cinema debut ‘Ada Omo Daddy’ on the 15th of December, 2023. This has sparked a lot of conversations online as two films from Nollywood’s favourites hit cinema on the same day.
The conversations continued as Toyin Abraham also announced her latest project ‘Malaika’ hit Nigerian cinema on the 22nd of December, 2023.
In Summary
There’s a lot of heated conversation on who’s taking the box office crown this December, Is it going to be Funke Akindele as usual or Toyin Abraham or Mercy Aigbe?
Well, we will find out!
