Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes Becomes Fastest Nollywood Film to Cross ₦1 Billion
Funke Akindele has set a new benchmark in Nollywood with her latest film, Behind The Scenes, which has now grossed over ₦1 billion at the box office, totaling ₦1,109,463,846. The film’s performance marks it as one of the highest-earning movies in Nigerian cinema history. FilmOne Entertainment, the movie’s distributor, announced the milestone on X, calling it “historic and unprecedented” for the West African film industry. According to the company, Behind The Scenes is the fastest film in West Africa to surpass ₦1 billion and also achieved the highest single-day gross on Boxing Day, earning ₦129.5 million. The distributor also revealed that the film has become the highest-grossing theatrical release of 2025 so far and continues to draw strong audiences weeks after its debut. Funke Akindele’s record-breaking achievement was highlighted, noting that she is now the only director to have three films cross ₦1 billion and the first filmmaker in Nollywood to deliver three consecutive ₦1B+ movies in a single year. Behind The Scenes had previously earned ₦512 million within 12 days of release, making it the top-grossing Nollywood film of 2025 at that point. The film held advanced screenings on December 10 and 11 before officially opening nationwide on December 12, quickly surpassing ₦200 million in its opening weekend. The movie explores the theme of black tax, focusing on the financial and social pressures faced by individuals supporting extended families—a topic that has struck a chord with audiences. The film stars Scarlet Gomez in the lead role, supported by an ensemble cast including Funke Akindele, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, Uzor Arukwe, Ini Dima-Okojie, Adebowale ‘Mr Macaroni’, Ibrahim Chatta, Kamo State, and reality stars Handi and Wanni Danbaki.