Funke Akindele’s ‘Behind The Scenes‘ opens with over ₦200m at box office

The strong opening weekend performance places *Behind The Scenes* among the biggest local releases of all time, reinforcing Akindele’s reputation as one of Nigeria’s most commercially successful filmmakers. Cinema industry data shows packed halls across major cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Ibadan, as fans turned out in large numbers.

Directed and produced by Akindele, the film blends drama, humour and social commentary—a formula that has become her trademark. Early audience reactions suggest that the storytelling, relatable characters and high production quality contributed significantly to the movie’s record-breaking start.

This latest success follows a string of box-office triumphs for Akindele, whose previous films—including *Omo Ghetto: The Saga* and *A Tribe Called Judah*—shattered earnings records and redefined what Nigerian films can achieve commercially. With each release, she continues to raise the bar for local cinema.

Industry analysts say the performance of *Behind The Scenes* highlights growing audience confidence in premium Nollywood productions, as well as improved distribution and marketing strategies within the industry. They note that strong opening numbers often set the pace for sustained box-office growth.

The film’s success is also being seen as a boost for cinema operators and distributors, who have faced fluctuating attendance in recent years. A strong local title, analysts say, helps stabilise ticket sales and attract wider demographics back to theatres.

With *Behind The Scenes* still screening nationwide and positive word-of-mouth spreading, expectations are high that the film will continue its upward trajectory in the coming weeks, potentially pushing its total earnings far beyond its opening weekend haul and further cementing Funke Akindele’s box-office legacy.