Funke Akindele’s latest Nollywood film, A Tribe Called Judah, has seen more than a 50% reduction in ticket sales at local cinemas.
Nairametrics reported that according to data released by the Cinemas Exhibitors Association of Nigeria, the comedy-drama, which starred some of Nigeria’s best actors, saw a 55% drop in performance between January 12, 2024 and January 18, 2024, grossing N84.6 million, significantly less than the previous week.
However, Funke Akindele’s film remains at the top of the chart for the fifth week in a row, grossing N1,320,874,174 as Nigeria’s highest-grossing film of 2023.
Following closely behind is Marvel’s “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” securing the second position but experiencing a 48% drop in the current week.
With a seven-day gross of ₦37.9 million, the Hollywood title approaches the ₦500 million milestone, totaling ₦479,984,118.
Despite the piracy leak, Toyin Abraham’s “Malaika” remains in third place in the charts for the week, grossing N24.5 million in seven days.
According to CEAN, the family drama has grossed a total of N272,353,324 in Nigerian cinemas after four weeks of release.
Mercy Aigbe’s “Ada Omo Daddy” ranked fourth with a seven-day gross of ₦14.7 million and a total of ₦200,834,172.
Despite the continuous battle against illicit dubbing of cinematic content, both “A Tribe Called Judah” and “Malaika” continue to release internationally, exhibiting industry tenacity in the face of difficulties.
The performance swings in local cinemas highlight the fluid nature of audience tastes, forcing filmmakers to navigate an environment where piracy concerns coexist with the quest of international acclaim.
As the business faces these obstacles, the success of these films in both domestic and international markets demonstrates Nollywood’s ongoing popularity and worldwide effect.
Funke Akindele’s A Tribe Called Judah premiered in theatres on January 15, 2023, and instantly achieved high ratings in its first few days.
It soared to become the highest-grossing film of 2023, earning an astonishing N400 million in its first 12 days in cinemas.
By the end of the year, the comedy-drama had gathered in more than N800 million in ticket sales before hitting its N1billion mark in January.
