Nollywood star and filmmaker Funke Akindele has scored another major commercial success as her latest film, Behind The Scenes, grossed ₦1.77 billion at the Nigerian box office, reinforcing her position as one of the country’s most bankable film producers.
The milestone was confirmed by the film’s distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday. “Celebrating yet another incredible milestone and we’re so sure we wouldn’t have done this without you and your love. Behind The Scenes hits a whopping ₦1.77 billion. Thank you to everyone for the love and support so far,” the company said.
As of 4 p.m. on January 5, 2025, the film had generated ₦1,767,305,878, emerging as the top-grossing film of the weekend across West Africa, with earnings continuing to climb. FilmOne emphasized that these were verified figures.
Behind The Scenes stars Scarlet Gomez in the lead role, with Funke Akindele herself and an ensemble cast including Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, Uzor Arukwe, Ini Dima-Okojie, Adebowale ‘Mr Macaroni’, Ibrahim Chatta, Kamo State, and reality TV personalities Handi and Wanni Danbaki. The film explores the theme of “black tax,” highlighting the social, emotional, and financial pressures faced by individuals expected to support extended family members—a narrative that has resonated widely with audiences in Nigeria and the wider West African market.
This success follows earlier box office milestones for Akindele. Behind The Scenes previously crossed the ₦1 billion mark, joining a list of the highest-grossing Nollywood films of all time. FilmOne described Akindele as “the only director to cross ₦1B+ at the box office three different times” and “Nollywood’s highest-grossing producer of all time,” underscoring her enduring commercial appeal.
Akindele’s track record includes hits such as Everybody Loves Jenifa, which reportedly earned over ₦40 million on its opening day, surpassed ₦355 million in its first week, exceeded ₦700 million by its second weekend, and became the fastest Nollywood film to reach ₦1 billion domestically.
Industry analysts attribute the success of Behind The Scenes to a mix of relatable storytelling, savvy marketing, and Akindele’s consistent popularity with mainstream audiences, suggesting that her films remain a reliable box office draw in Nigeria’s thriving cinema industry.