Nollywood actress and producer Funke Akindele’s latest film, Behind the Scenes, has recorded a strong opening in North America, grossing $301,505 across Canada and the United States during its opening weekend.
According to a post by the film’s executive producer, the movie earned $111,256 in Canada and $190,249 in the U.S. within three days of release.
Akindele described the milestone as overwhelming, thanking audiences in both markets for their support.
The North American performance follows the film’s strong West African box office run of over N2 billion.
About the film
Behind the Scenes is directed by Funke Akindele and Tunde Olaoye and features an ensemble cast including Destiny Etiko, Ibrahim Chatta, Ini Dima-Okojie, Iyabo Ojo, Tobi Bakre, Uzor Arukwe, and Victoria Adeleye. The drama has a runtime of two hours and 24 minutes and is rated 12A.
The story follows Aderonke “Ronky-Fella” Faniran, a successful real estate entrepreneur whose generosity toward others gradually comes at a personal cost, raising questions around self-sacrifice, boundaries, and personal responsibility. The film is currently showing in major cinemas across Nigeria and Ghana, including Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, and Accra.
Akindele previously disclosed that the film’s production budget exceeded N1 billion, highlighting the scale of investment involved.
Rising production costs, combined with inflation and tighter consumer spending, have increased pressure on filmmakers to deliver strong theatrical performances.
Following the release, Akindele urged audiences not to record or share clips from the movie, warning that such actions amount to piracy and could undermine its commercial performance.
What you should know
The success of Behind the Scenes builds on Akindele’s historic box office run. She became the first filmmaker to rank No. 1 at the African box office for three consecutive years, with a combined domestic gross of N5.3 billion.
Her latest release officially closed at N2.103 billion, overtaking Everybody Loves Jenifa to become West Africa’s highest-grossing film of all time, according to box office data from cinema distributors and industry trackers across the region. The film was released under the Funke Ayotunde Akindele Network (FAAN) and distributed by FilmOne Entertainment.
A breakdown of her recent box office performance shows a steady climb:
- 2023: A Tribe Called Judah grossed N1.408 billion, becoming Nollywood’s first billion-naira film.
- 2024: Everybody Loves Jenifa earned N1.883 billion, setting a new industry benchmark.
- 2025: Behind the Scenes closed at N2.103 billion, pushing the three-year total to N5.39 billion.
The sustained performance positions Akindele as Africa’s highest-grossing filmmaker, as well as the continent’s top-grossing director, producer, and screenwriter.
