NIGERIA: Funke Akindele’s ‘Behind The Scenes’ Breaks ₦200m Barrier in Opening Weekend

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

Award-winning Nollywood actress and producer Funke Akindele has once again dominated the Nigerian box office as her latest film, Behind The Scenes, crossed the ₦200 million mark in its opening weekend, emerging as the biggest cinema debut of 2025.

The milestone places the film as the first Nollywood production this year to record such a feat within one weekend, further reinforcing Akindele’s reputation as one of the industry’s most bankable filmmakers.

The achievement was announced on Monday, December 15, 2025, by the film’s distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, which disclosed that the movie also broke five opening-weekend records.

The statement wrote: “We call her the Queen of Box Office for a reason. Thank you, Nigeria, for showing up, filling cinemas, and spreading the word. Behind The Scenes crossed ₦200 million in just one weekend, broke five opening-weekend records, and became the biggest opening of 2025. It’s your love that made this possible.”

Industry analysts attributed the film’s strong debut to sustained audience anticipation generated by its advanced screenings held on December 10 and 11, ahead of its nationwide cinema release on December 12.

Behind The Scenes features a star-studded cast, including Scarlet Gomez, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, and Uche Montana, among others, drawing wide appeal across multiple audience demographics.

The latest success adds to Akindele’s impressive box office track record. Her previous film, Everybody Loves Jenifa, set a new Nollywood record for the biggest opening weekend, surpassing the benchmark earlier established by A Tribe Called Judah, which opened with ₦113 million.

Everybody Loves Jenifa later went on to become the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time, earning over ₦1.8 billion in Nigeria, with additional revenue from international markets.

With Behind The Scenes setting a new pace for 2025 releases, industry observers say the performance signals growing audience confidence in locally produced films and highlights the expanding commercial potential of Nollywood’s cinema market.