Entertainment
Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes Becomes West Africa’s All-Time Box Office King
Actress and producer Funke Akindele has officially shattered box office records once again. Her latest film, Behind The Scenes, has surpassed her previous work to become the highest-grossing film of all time in West Africa.
The film reached this historic milestone after crossing the ₦1.77 billion mark at the box office in early January 2026.
This is according to box office performance data from cinema distributors and industry trackers across the region.
The development shows the growing commercial power of locally produced films and Funke Akindele’s continued dominance as Nollywood’s most bankable filmmaker.
The film’s record-breaking run comes after weeks of sustained audience turnout, strong word-of-mouth, and consistently high weekly grosses, positioning it ahead of Akindele’s previous blockbuster, Everybody Loves Jenifa, which ended its theatrical run at about N1.8 billion.
What the data is saying
Available data shows that Behind The Scenes has already recorded a cumulative box office gross of approximately N1.77 billion as of the last weekend in cinemas.
The movie also posted a historic N129.5 million single-day gross on Boxing Day, one of the highest ever recorded in Nollywood history.
In terms of audience turnout, the film leads West Africa’s 2025 admissions ranking with 223,768 admissions between January 1 and December 31, 2025 (not calculating spillover numbers in 2026 yet. This places it well ahead of Everybody Loves Jenifa, which recorded 148,863 admissions within the same period. The numbers reflect not just higher ticket prices, but a significantly larger cinema-going audience.
More context from the box office
Beyond becoming the region’s highest-grossing film, Behind The Scenes is also the highest-grossing movie of 2025 so far. It represents Funke Akindele’s third N1 billion film, an achievement that remains unprecedented in Nollywood.
The film features an expansive, star-studded cast including BBNaija stars Wanni x Handi, Uche Montana, Scarlet Gomez, Tobi Bakre, Uzor Arukwe, Vee, Mr Macaroni, Ini Dima-Okojie, Iyabo Ojo, Ibrahim Chatta, Dele Odule, Destiny Etiko, Kamo, Afeez Oyetoro, and Ejiro Onojafe. Its broad appeal across demographics helped sustain momentum weeks after release.
The success of Behind The Scenes reinforces Nollywood’s transition into a data-driven, big-budget industry capable of delivering consistent theatrical returns. Funke Akindele previously disclosed that the film’s production budget was close to N1 billion, highlighting the growing scale and financial risk of modern Nigerian filmmaking.
What you should know
Nairametrics has consistently reported on the rise of billion-naira Nollywood films and Funke Akindele’s outsized influence on the box office. The actress-producer had earlier warned fans against sharing pirated cinema recordings, emphasizing how piracy directly threatens film profitability.
Behind The Scenes had shown strong box office momentum from its opening weekend. Funke Akindele’s latest film recorded over N200 million in box office revenue during its first weekend in cinemas, making it the highest-grossing opening weekend of 2025, according to figures released by FilmOne Entertainment, the film’s West African distributor.
The movie, which debuted in cinemas on December 12, attracted 34,548 admissions between December 12 and 14, setting multiple opening-weekend benchmarks in the Nigerian film market. Within just two weeks of release, the title crossed the N500 million mark at the Nigerian box office.
Its momentum continued across the region, as Behind The Scenes surged past N1.1 billion at the West African box office just 17 days after release, becoming the fastest film in the region’s history to cross the billion-naira threshold.
Entertainment
Regina Daniels Speaks Out On Children’s Welfare Amid Separation From Husband Ned Nwoko
Actress Regina Daniels has publicly expressed deep concern for the safety and welfare of her two sons, Prince Munir (Moon) and Prince Khalifa (Kharly), following her widely reported separation from her estranged husband, Senator Ned Nwoko.
In a message shared on her son’s school social media page, the actress commended the institution for its efforts and expressed pride in her son’s growth and achievements.
She also appealed to the school authorities to look after her children in her absence.
Regina described her son as the “blessed fruit of my womb,” assuring him of her unwavering prayers and constant watchfulness despite being away.
She wrote, “Oh my Moon! Blessed fruit of my womb! Mama is so proud! Grow in good health, my child! I will always watch and pray over you from afar. @LincolnAmericanAcademy I trust you to look after my babies well.”
Regina’s emotional statement came amid separation from estranged husband, Ned Nwoko and difficulty in having access to their children.
Entertainment
2Baba Finally Addresses 2025 London Altercation With Wife Natasha Osawaru
In recent a interview, music icon 2Baba (Innocent Idibia) has addressed the widely reported 2025 London altercation with his new wife, Natasha Osawaru, a member of the Edo State House of Assembly.
The music star made the revelation during an appearance on the Mic On podcast, where he spoke honestly about lessons learned from difficult moments in his life and career.
According to the father of six, there are several situations he wishes he had approached differently, especially those shaped by emotional pressure and stress.
While speaking on the podcast, 2Baba also revisited a controversial incident in London involving a disagreement with his wife, Natasha Osawaru, which led to his arrest in October 2025.
The singer took responsibility for the episode, admitting that his reaction at the time was fueled by anger.
“I was angry that day. It was an unfortunate incident,” the singer said.
He explained that managing personal challenges alongside public life has not always been easy, adding that some experiences have pushed him to reassess how he handles conflict and pressure.
The award-winning artiste further noted that emotional strain can sometimes cloud judgment, stressing that he now understands the importance of responding more carefully in tense situations.
“There are so many things I wish I could rewind and do better. As a human being, there are times when you are overwhelmed or don’t make the best decisions. My thick-skin is weaker now,” he said.
2Baba added that these life experiences have left him more reflective, teaching him valuable lessons about accountability, emotional control, and personal growth.
Entertainment
Why My Kids Are No Longer On My Social Media – Yul Edochie
Actor Yul Edochie has clarified that his decision to stop posting photos of his children with his estranged wife, May Edochie, is not due to estrangement but due to a legal mandate.
Speaking in a recent interview on the KaaTruths podcast, Yul said he maintains regular contact with his children and continues to support them financially, including covering aspects of their university education.
“I am in contact with my children. I have heard a lot of things. About people saying ‘he abandoned his children’. My second son just got into the university months ago. He just did his matriculation a few days back. Infact, he told me a day before time, and I told him I was busy. “The main issue is not on social media. I would rather not say anything. I don’t want to say my ex-wife did this, my ex-wife did that. Real men don’t tackle issues like that. It is all family stuff , nobody is perfect,” he said.
The actor attributed his silence on social media about his children to a court order related to his ongoing divorce case with May, citing their safety.
“There is also a court order. There is a divorce case going on. That is why I cannot really speak. It says anything that has to do with the children, for their own safety, I should not post,” he added.
Yul and May’s divorce proceedings, initiated in 2023, have been stalled over issues like marriage dissolution terms and adultery claims.
Yul married actress Judy Austin as his second wife in 2022, prompting May to file for divorce and seek N100 million in damages.
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