By Onyeanya Immaculata
Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele’s latest cinema release, Behind The Scenes, has crossed the ₦1 billion mark at the Nigerian box office, grossing ₦1,109,463,846 and setting multiple records, according to distributor FilmOne Entertainment.
FilmOne announced the milestone on Monday via its X handle, describing the achievement as historic and unprecedented in the West African film industry. The company said the film is now the fastest in West Africa to gross over ₦1 billion.
The distributor also revealed that Behind The Scenes recorded the highest single-day box office gross ever on Boxing Day, earning ₦129.5 million. In addition, the movie has emerged as the highest-grossing theatrical release of 2025 so far, maintaining strong momentum weeks after its cinema debut.
FilmOne highlighted Akindele’s continued dominance at the box office, describing her as the only director to have crossed the ₦1 billion mark three different times and Nollywood’s highest-grossing producer of all time. The company added that she is also the first filmmaker to deliver three consecutive ₦1 billion films within one calendar year.
“Thank you to everyone for the love and support so far. This win is for all of us,” FilmOne stated.
The film held advanced screenings on December 10 and 11 before its nationwide cinema release on December 12. Within days, it crossed ₦200 million and went on to post one of the strongest opening weekends of the year.
Earlier updates from FilmOne described the performance as the biggest opening weekend of 2025, with the film becoming the fastest Nollywood production to reach ₦500 million and the highest-grossing Nollywood film of the year at the time.
Behind The Scenes explores the theme of black tax, focusing on the social and financial pressures faced by individuals supporting extended family members. The storyline has resonated strongly with audiences.
The film stars Scarlet Gomez in the lead role, alongside 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 stars Handi and Wanni Danbaki, among others.
