Nollywood superstar Funke Akindele has once again rewritten the record books, as her latest cinematic offering, Behind The Scenes, has achieved a monumental feat at the box office. The film has officially crossed the ₦1.1 billion mark in ticket sales, a staggering achievement accomplished in just 19 days since its nationwide release.
A Historic Announcement and Gratitude
The groundbreaking milestone was confirmed on Monday through social media channels by both the film's lead star and producer, Funke Akindele, and its distributor, FilmOne Entertainment. The 48-year-old actress took to her X platform to express profound gratitude to her supporters and the film's collaborators.
"Forever grateful to God and my fans. Thank you for the love and support over the years," Akindele wrote. "Big thanks to the distributors, cast, crew, and colleagues." She also used the opportunity to announce the film's expanding reach, confirming that Behind The Scenes is now showing in cinemas across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Records Shattered and New Benchmarks Set
In a detailed celebratory post, FilmOne Entertainment outlined the historic nature of the film's performance, listing multiple industry records it has broken. The distributor declared Behind The Scenes as the fastest movie in West Africa to cross the ₦1 billion threshold.
The film's success is punctuated by other remarkable achievements. It recorded the highest single-day gross ever on Boxing Day, earning a colossal ₦129.5 million in one day. Furthermore, the project is now the highest-grossing film release of 2025 in Nigeria.
This triumph solidifies Funke Akindele's unparalleled position in Nollywood. According to FilmOne, she has become:
- The only director to cross ₦1 billion at the box office three different times.
- Nollywood's highest-grossing producer of all time.
- The first filmmaker to deliver three consecutive ₦1 billion films within a single calendar year.
A Meteoric Rise From Opening Weekend
The film's journey to this billion-naira landmark has been rapid and record-setting. Behind The Scenes first made waves by crossing ₦200 million in its opening weekend, setting the record for the biggest opening weekend for a Nollywood film in 2025. Its momentum continued unabated, as it hit ₦512 million in just 12 days, making it the fastest Nollywood film to cross the ₦500 million mark this year.
The movie, which explores the relatable theme of black tax, features an ensemble cast. It stars Scarlet Gomez alongside industry heavyweights like Funke Akindele, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, Uzor Arukwe, Ini Dima-Okojie, Adebowale ‘Mr Macaroni’, Ibrahim Chatta, Kamo State, and reality TV personalities Handi and Wanni Danbaki.
Following advanced screenings on December 10 and 11, the film opened officially in Nigerian cinemas on December 12. It continues to run in theatres across Nigeria and its newly launched UK and Ireland markets. Plans are already in motion for a United States release scheduled for January 9, promising to extend its commercial success and cultural impact on a global scale.
