Year after year, her films have dominated holiday cinema, drawing record-breaking crowds and rewriting the history of Nollywood’s commercial success.
This December, she is set to continue that streak with a new film, Behind The Scenes, announced on her birthday through her production company, the Funke Akindele Network (FAAN).
The upcoming release features a cast that includes Tobi Bakare, Scarlet Gomez, Ini Dima-Okojie, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Uzor Arukwe, Uche Montana, and reality TV personalities Handi and Wanni from Big Brother Naija.
A December Box Office Legacy
Akindele’s attachment to December is not accidental. Over the years, she has made the festive season synonymous with her brand of filmmaking: ensemble-driven stories that combine humour, family conflict, and cultural familiarity.
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In 2020, Omo Ghetto: The Saga became the highest-grossing Nollywood film at the time, earning more than ₦636 million.
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By 2022, she topped her own record with Battle on Buka Street, which grossed over ₦668 million.
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In 2023, A Tribe Called Judah became the first Nollywood film to surpass the ₦1 billion mark, closing with more than ₦1.4 billion at the box office.
Each release has not only set financial benchmarks but also established her status as a filmmaker who understands audience demand during Nigeria’s busiest cinema season.
Behind The Scenes and What Follows
Although little has been revealed about the storyline of Behind The Scenes, its release date alone signals Akindele’s confidence in returning to her winning formula.
The December slot has become her signature, a period when audiences expect her work and cinemas prepare for large turnouts.
With three consecutive box office records behind her, the question surrounding Behind The Scenes is not whether it will attract viewers, but whether it will continue the upward trend of Akindele’s December dominance.
Funke Akindele’s December releases have become more than films; they are now annual cultural events. Behind The Scenes enters this tradition with high expectations, positioned to extend a streak that has already reshaped Nollywood’s box office landscape.
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