Three Billion-Naira Blockbusters: Funke Akindele Extends Her Box Office Dominance

Funke Akindele has added yet another milestone to her record-breaking run in Nollywood, as her latest film, Behind The Scenes, storms past the ₦1.1 billion mark at the Nigerian box office, just 19 days after release.

The update was confirmed by FilmOne Entertainment, the film’s distributor, which announced that the movie has now grossed ₦1,109,463,846, making it the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2025 so far and one of the most commercially successful titles in Nigerian cinema history.

FilmOne described the achievement as “historic,” noting that Behind The Scenes is now the fastest film in West Africa to cross the ₦1 billion benchmark. The distributor also revealed that the film set a new industry record on Boxing Day, earning ₦129.5 million in a single day, the highest Boxing Day gross ever recorded.

The film has continued to dominate the box office weeks after its nationwide premiere, solidifying Akindele’s status as Nollywood’s leading blockbuster filmmaker. According to FilmOne, she remains “the only director to cross ₦1B+ at the box office three different times” and “Nollywood’s highest-grossing producer of all time.”

The company further noted that Akindele has now become the first filmmaker to deliver three consecutive ₦1B+ films within one calendar year, a feat yet to be matched in the industry.

Before hitting the ₦1 billion mark, Behind The Scenes had already broken multiple records, grossing ₦512 million within its first 12 days in cinemas and securing the biggest opening weekend of 2025. The film held advanced screenings on December 10 and 11, before its nationwide release on December 12, and crossed the ₦200 million mark within days.

Reacting to the milestone, Funke Akindele expressed gratitude to her fans and supporters, saying:
“Over the years, I’ve always valued my fans, because without God and you, I am nobody. Thank you all for coming out to watch this movie and for supporting my brand through the years.”

This marks the third consecutive time one of Akindele’s films has crossed the ₦1 billion mark,  following the massive successes of A Tribe Called Judah (2023) and Everybody Loves Jenifa (2024). With Behind The Scenes achieving the milestone in record time, Akindele has further cemented her legacy as the most commercially successful filmmaker in Nollywood history.