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New Nollywood movie, ‘A Tribe Called Judah’, by veteran actress, Funke Akindele has made history by becoming the highest-grossing Nollywood film ever with a reported N1 billion earnings at the box office.
This feat surpassed her previous films ‘Battle on Buka Street’, which gulped N668.4 million, and ‘Omo Ghetto: The Saga’, which made over N636.1 million currently sitting as the second and third highest-grossing films in the Nigerian box office respectively.
On December 15, 2023, the film premiered in theaters around the country. With a total of N113.3 million on opening weekend, it became the highest-grossing Nollywood opening weekend of the year.
It’s also currently showing in the United Kingdom as well.
It automatically became the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2023 and the highest-grossing film ever, according to the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN). It crossed the N1 billion historic mark in just two days into 2024, ending 2023 with a total gross of N854.3 million.
During the festive season, the average ticket price for watching a movie in regular cinemas was N5,500, while it goes up to N7,000 at IMAX cinemas.
Considering the substantial number of admissions and multiplying it by these ticket prices, it becomes evident that the film’s ability to surpass a billion in record time was a straightforward outcome.
‘A Tribe Called Judah’ follows five brothers: Jide Kene Achufusi as Emeka Judah, Timini Egbuson as Pere Judah, Uzee Usman as Adamu Judah, Tobi Makinde as Shina Judah, and Olumide Oworu as Ejiro Judah, who must come together to rob a company to save their mother, played by Akindele as Jedidah Judah.
In 2020, her film Omo Ghetto: The Saga raked a whooping N636.1 million setting a new record for the highest-grossing movie during that period. Not long after in 2022, the release of her next film: ‘Battle on Buka Street’ a comedy-drama, saw Akindele break her own record as the movie earned N668.4 making her one of two filmmakers to reach and surpass the N1 billion gross at the box office and the only one to do it with just two movies.
The success of Akindele’s film in theaters has been attributed to her skillful marketing, which included drawing viewers in with engaging trailers, well-thought-out social media campaigns, and eye-catching promotional materials.
Her well-thought-out promotion not only generates widespread anticipation but also establishes a strong connection between the audience and the film, ensuring a packed cinema hall and a huge cinematic debut.
The award-winning actress, who is the third most followed woman in Nigeria on social media with over 16 million followers on Instagram alone, has increased the appeal of her films by continuously demonstrating her ability to provide high-caliber films with compelling narratives.
Funke Akindele’s films predominantly resonate with audiences from the South-west geo-political zone, proving advantageous for her.
This alignment is particularly significant considering that the South West region holds 57 per cent of the total 81 cinemas in Nigeria, as reported by Statista.
Chioma Kalu
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