Nollywood icon Funke Akindele achieves a historic milestone as her latest film, ‘A Tribe Called Judah,’ emerges as the highest-grossing Nollywood film ever, amassing a remarkable N1 billion in box office earnings within less than three weeks of its release.
This accomplishment surpasses Akindele’s previous record-breaking films, ‘Battle on Buka Street’ with N668.4 million and ‘Omo Ghetto: The Saga’ with over N636.1 million, securing the first, second, and third positions in the Nigerian box office rankings, respectively.
The film, which premiered on December 15, 2023, garnered an impressive N113.3 million during its opening weekend, marking the highest-grossing Nollywood opening weekend of the year. ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ also extends its success to the United Kingdom, currently being showcased in theaters.
The Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) confirms that the movie has become not only the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2023 but also the highest-grossing film ever. It crossed the N1 billion mark within the first two days of 2024, concluding 2023 with a total gross of N854.3 million.
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During the festive season, where the average ticket price in regular cinemas was N5,500, and N7,000 at IMAX cinemas, the film’s substantial number of admissions propelled it to reach the billion-naira milestone rapidly.
‘A Tribe Called Judah’ follows the story of five brothers, portrayed by notable actors including Jide Kene Achufusi, Timini Egbuson, Uzee Usman, Tobi Makinde, and Olumide Oworu, who unite to carry out a heist to save their mother, played by Akindele herself.
Funke Akindele’s exceptional success in theaters is attributed to her adept marketing strategies, featuring engaging trailers, well-executed social media campaigns, and captivating promotional materials. The actress, recognized as the third most followed woman in Nigeria on social media, boasts over 16 million Instagram followers alone, further enhancing the appeal of her films.
Akindele’s ability to resonate with audiences in the South-west geo-political zone, where the majority of Nigeria’s cinemas are situated, proves advantageous. With 57% of the total 81 cinemas in Nigeria located in the South West, the alignment contributes significantly to the widespread success of ‘A Tribe Called Judah,’ solidifying Funke Akindele’s position as a trailblazer in the Nollywood industry.
