Film  

FIFTY… setting new record for Box Office

By Editor

06 January 2016   |   4:51 am

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Forget Star Wars, Alvin and the Chipmunks, No Escape or Point Break, the movie breaking all records at the Nigerian box office against all odds is Mo Abudu’s ‎FIFTY, the new age drama chronicling the lives of four fifty-year-old women living in Lagos. Despite competition from about 8 films in the last 2 weeks, FIFTY…

Cast of FIFTY

Forget Star Wars, Alvin and the Chipmunks, No Escape or Point Break, the movie breaking all records at the Nigerian box office against all odds is Mo Abudu’s ‎FIFTY, the new age drama chronicling the lives of four fifty-year-old women living in Lagos.

Despite competition from about 8 films in the last 2 weeks, FIFTY has triumphed gallantly at the box office, consistently selling out shows in Ikeja, Abuja, Surulere, Lekki, Ibadan, Akure and other locations across the country. One of the strongest points for FIFTY is the film’s ability to attract a new type of audience, particularly middle-class women who have gone out in groups to catch the action.

FIFTY, which earlier on premiered before a global audience in London at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival, is set to go into the record books as the premiere of the century, one which attracted highly respected VIPS the likes of businessman and billionaire Aliko Dangote (GCON), Honorable Minister of Transport Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, visionary economist, entrepreneur and philanthropist Tony Elumelu, healthcare philanthropist and wife of the Senate President, Toyin Saraki, Honorable Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

Others include Managing Director of Access bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe; Chairman of Stanbic IBTC, Mr. Atedo Peterside and his beautiful wife; Managing Director of Standard Chartered Bank, Mrs. Bola Adesola, among others.

Now available to watch in every cinema across Nigeria, FIFTY continues to enjoy the patronage of dignitaries, luminaries and notable personalities who have gone to watch the movie in cinemas. Such include Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, music mogul and R&B top enchilada Banky W, Pop, R&B and Hip hop soul diva Waje, the highly respected and amiable General Overseer of Guiding Light Assembly, Pastor Wale Adefarasin, among others.

Here is what people are saying about their experience after watching FIFTY:

“In the first instance, the premiere of the movie was unparalleled in Nigeria’s history. It attracted the creme de la creme of the society‎, all of whom were treated to a first-rate pre-show dinner that set the stage for the main act. The movie itself is a bold move that reflects life in its true sense. The characters in the award winning movie were all flawed, but we love them all. We have no choice. We are all flawed. I’ll recommend the film any day and I am ready to watch it ten times!” – Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

“It was an amazing film – the music, costumes, story, the elegance with which the plot was delivered. I loved it.” – Ojoma Ochai, Director, British Council

“The director, Biyi Bandele; the executive producer, Mo Abudu; and The Four Titans: Ireti Doyle, Omoni Oboli, Dakore Egbuson-Akande and Nse Ikpe Etim must be applauded for their valiant efforts in bringing a whole new level of cinematic excellence to Nollywood. It may not be Titanic or Lord of the Rings, but I didn’t see a single native doctor, and nobody ran mad. The BFI chose well.” – VIVA NAIJA (www.viva-naija.com)

“The buildup of the movie is beautiful … a great source of entertainment with its brilliant cast and plot twists … the costume choices fit the style of the movie and were carefully selected to portray the image of the actors … the writer was very inventive with the plot and kept us glued to the screen … It was everything but boring and the characters were credible with their words and acting … Having seen this movie already, would I still go back to watch it again? Hell, Yes! I would, you should too.” – Crystal Clear Words (www.crystalclearwords.com)

“I really enjoyed it and it was great to watch it with such an enthusiastic audience. It was funny, full of melodrama and disarmingly touching and courageous at the same time – a side of Lagos you don’t often get to see and a really original film. I loved the cast and characters and it was so refreshing to see a film that gave a voice to the ‘fifty-something’ women of Nigeria. I’m sure it will be a massive hit.” – Charlotte Moore, BBC 1’s

Controller
For recording the highest-grossing opening weekend for any Nigerian film, FIFTY is now certified as the Number 1 Nigerian film of the year, with Box Office analysts predicting that it should end in over N100m by the end of January 2016, a conservative projection based on the traditionally slow January period.

One thing is, however, sure, the support FIFTY continues to garner among Nigerian audiences is amazing and highly commendable, going to show that Nigerians do support their own as FIFTY’s success has been borne out of an appreciation for the quality and relevance of the film.