December 2025 has provided Nollywood fans a big excuse to celebrate. Funke Akindele’s latest film, Behind The Scenes, has ruled over cinemas across Nigeria, earning in over ₦200 million in its opening weekend, an amazing feat that confirms Akindele’s status as one of Nollywood’s biggest box office hits.
A Record Breaking Opening Weekend
In just three days, Behind The Scenes became the first Nollywood movie of 2025 to cross ₦200 million, attracting crowds to cinemas nationwide. With more than 34,500 admissions in its first weekend, the film broke multiple opening-weekend records, topping the previous record held by Iyalode, which opened to ₦138.41 million.
The star packed cast, featuring Scarlet Gomez, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, Uzor Arukwe, and Ini Dima-Okojie, obviously helped attract audiences. The movie’s mixture of drama and comedy, set within the background of the film industry, struck a chord with viewers looking for regular storytelling.
Why Audiences Loved It
At its heart, Behind The Scenes presents Aderonke “Ronky-Fella” Faniran, a caring entrepreneur whose kind hearted nature lands her in emotional and financial trouble. Themes like family expectations, “black tax,” and personal sacrifice connect strongly with Nigerian audiences, making the film feel instantly, acceptable, and emotionally engaging. This appeal is one of the reasons the movie became an instant hit. Social media buzz and word of mouth promotion had a huge role in drawing in cinemas, showing that Akindele’s works are always in high interest.
The Critics’ Take: Commercial Success, But Creativity Lacking?
Despite its huge commercial success, not all critics are fully pleased. A review by WhatKeptMeUp commended the film for its relatable storyline but condemned it for being “creatively stuck.” According to the review, while the film relates to audiences on a basic level, it falls into predictable storytelling trends and doesn’t take enough creative risks. Some performances were noted as unclear, and certain production elements from makeup choices to small product placement sort of distracted from the story. The review indicates that while the movie will likely remain successful, it doesn’t push Nollywood’s creative possibilities in the way some critics had hoped.
The Nollywood Dilemma: Profit vs. Creativity
Behind The Scenes just shows a routine in Nollywood: films that accomplish box office success through star power and popular interest, even if they play it safe creatively. This raises an important question: how can Nigerian filmmakers balance commercial appeal with creativity in an industry that’s growing both at home and globally? Funke Akindele has proven, once again, that she knows what audiences want. Whether or not the film is a creative breakthrough, it’s obvious that Behind The Scenes has made a lasting mark on Nollywood’s 2025 market.
Post a Comment