Funke Akindele has once again altered the landscape of Nollywood box office success with her latest cinematic release, ‘Behind the Scenes’.
The film has crossed the N1.1 billion mark at the West African box office just 17 days after its release, making it the fastest film in the region’s history to reach the billion-naira milestone.
This achievement further extends Akindele’s growing list of records, as she becomes the only filmmaker to have surpassed N1 billion at the box office on three separate occasions and the first to deliver three consecutive films earning over N1 billion within a single calendar year.
The film also recorded the highest single-day theatrical gross in Nigerian cinema history, earning N129.5 million on Boxing Day.
FilmOne Entertainment, the official distributor of the movie, confirmed the figures and marked the achievement across its social media platforms, describing the feat as “another history made,” while expressing gratitude to moviegoers for “showing up, filling cinemas, and carrying this story with love.”
Behind the Scenes was directed by Funke Akindele alongside Tunde Olaoye and features an extensive ensemble cast that includes Scarlet Gomez, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Ibrahim Chatta, Ini Dima-Okojie, Uzor Arukwe, Uche Montana and Victoria Adeleye.
The drama runs for 2 hours and 24 minutes, carries a 12A rating, and centres on the character Aderonke “Ronky-Fella” Faniran, a successful real estate entrepreneur whose extreme generosity ultimately forces her to confront issues of personal boundaries, self-worth and the limits of responsibility.
Akindele had previously revealed in a video message that the production budget for the film exceeded N1 billion, underscoring the scale of financial commitment behind the project.
Industry reports have noted that rising production costs are placing increased pressure on filmmakers to deliver strong cinema performances, particularly at a time when inflation and tightening consumer spending continue to impact cinema attendance across the country.
Following the film’s nationwide release, Akindele appealed directly to audiences, urging them to refrain from recording or sharing clips from the movie while watching it in cinemas.
The box office triumph follows a remarkable opening week in which the film grossed over N500 million, marking the strongest opening frame for any Nollywood release in 2025.
The impressive debut was driven in part by advanced screenings held on December 10 and 11, ahead of the film’s nationwide release on December 12.
Led by an ensemble cast featuring Scarlet Gomez, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre and Uche Montana, the film continues Akindele’s run of commercial dominance after the success of A Tribe Called Judah and Everybody Loves Jenifa, both of which crossed the billion-naira mark.
With its latest box office performance, Behind the Scenes has emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood release of 2025 so far, further cementing Funke Akindele’s status as the top-grossing producer in the history of the Nigerian film industry.
