Funke Akindele has once again rewritten Nollywood’s box office history as her film, Behind the scenes, grossed ₦512 million within 12 days of its release, becoming the highest-grossing Nollywood movie of 2025 so far.
The film reached the milestone barely two weeks after its cinema release, setting a new record as the fastest Nollywood title to cross the ₦500 million mark at the box office. It also emerged as the number one film of the weekend.
Behind the scenes had its advanced screenings on December 10 and 11 before officially opening in cinemas across the country on December 12.
The film’s distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, announced the achievement in an Instagram post celebrating the historic run.
According to the company, the ₦512 million gross reflects strong audience belief in the story and the filmmaker behind it.
“And yet, another history has been made. Thank you, West Africa, for showing up, filling cinemas, and carrying this story with love. ₦512M at the box office. Fastest Nollywood movie to hit ₦500M. Number one film of the weekend. This is what belief looks like. Behind the scenes of a historic run,” FilmOne wrote.
The latest milestone adds to Akindele’s long list of box office records and reinforces her reputation as Nollywood’s most bankable filmmaker.
Over the years, she has consistently delivered films that dominate conversations, and also translate popularity into ticket sales.
Akindele currently holds the record for the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time with Everybody Loves Jenifa, which earned ₦1,882,553,548 at the box office.
Beyond that record, the actress and filmmaker occupies four spots in the top five highest-grossing Nollywood movies of all time. Her films Omo Ghetto: The Saga, Battle on Buka Street, A Tribe Called Judah and Everybody Loves Jenifa are the top four highest grossing Nollywood movies of all time.
Funke Akindele’s success is driven by her ability to combine relatable storytelling, and strong marketing strategies.
The performance of Behind the scenes also highlights the growing strength of Nigeria’s cinema market, especially during peak seasons.
December has traditionally been a strong period for cinema releases, with audiences more willing to visit the cinemas during the festive break.
With its current momentum, expectations are high that Behind the scenes could climb further up the list of all-time highest-grossing Nollywood films in the coming weeks.
Her latest record is further proof of her influence and relevance in an industry where the box office is becoming more competitive.
