Nollywood box office: Top 10 movies with record opening weekends
Nollywood, with a growing annual ticket sales of N12 billion as of 2024, is not slowing down anytime soon.
Over the past few years, Nigerian movies have been pulling massive numbers at the box office, proving that local films can stand shoulder to shoulder with foreign blockbusters.
From heartfelt dramas to hilarious comedies and action-packed stories, these films fill up cinemas and break records every weekend.
In the movie world, the opening weekend is a big deal; it is the first real test of how well a film will perform in cinemas. It usually covers the first three days of release, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, when excitement is highest, and fans rush to see the film while it is still fresh.
A strong opening weekend not only brings in huge ticket sales but also builds momentum through word of mouth and social media buzz, helping a film stay longer in cinemas and attract even more viewers.
Big names like Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham, and Kayode Kasum have been leading this bandwagon with a few newcomers over the last four years coming to join the train.
This list of the Top 10 Nollywood movies with the highest-grossing opening weekends ever shows just how far the industry has come and how powerful those first three cinema days can be.
Open weekend gross: N60.2 million
Released on December 24, 2021, Christmas in Miami was produced by Ayo Makun (AY) as part of his popular “AY’s Merry Men” holiday series. The comedy was directed by Robert Peters and featured AY, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Osita Iheme, Francis Duru, and John Amos.
Shot across Nigeria and the United States, the film follows a multicultural family comedy set around a global Christmas celebration in Miami.
With an opening weekend haul of N60,232,775, the film reaffirmed AY’s position as one of Nollywood’s most commercially successful producers, combining star power, humor, and festive storytelling to attract large audiences.
Opening weekend gross: N64 million
Directed by Adebayo Tijani and Odunlade Adekola, Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds premiered on March 29, 2024, and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Produced by Anthill Studios, the epic fantasy-drama starred Eniola Ajao, Odunlade Adekola, Faithia Williams, and Taiwo Hassan (Ogogo).
The film fused Yoruba folklore with modern fantasy storytelling, earning praise for its costumes, visual effects, and ambitious scope.
It earned N64,078,300 during its first weekend, marking one of the strongest openings of 2024 and helping Nollywood achieve record-breaking box office numbers that year.
Opening weekend: N65.6 million
Released on December 15, 2017, The Wedding Party 2 was directed by Niyi Akinmolayan and produced by EbonyLife Films in collaboration with Inkblot Productions, Koga Studios, and FilmOne Distribution.
The romantic comedy sequel starred Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Banky W, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Sola Sobowale, and Patience Ozokwor. Set between Lagos and Dubai, it continued the story of the Coker and Onwuka families in a lavish, cross-cultural wedding extravaganza.
The film grossed an impressive N65,675,288 in its opening weekend, drawing huge crowds to cinemas across Nigeria. Its global appeal and high production quality solidified its place among Nollywood’s top-grossing films.
Opening weekend: N79.1 million
Gingerrr is the year’s newest film project, directed by Yemi Morafa and released on 26 September 2025, with executive producers such as Bolaji Ogunmola, Kiekie and Bisola Aiyeola.
The film stars a large ensemble including Blossom Chukwujeku, Faithia Williams, Lateef Adedimeji, Odunlade Adekola, Shaffy Bello, and Mr. Macaroni.
It recorded an opening weekend of about N79.15 million, putting it firmly in the Top 10. The movie rubs in with its blend of action, comedy, and strong star power; Gingerrr signals that Nollywood blockbuster openings are still scaling upward in 2025. It has now grossed a total of N266 million after 2 weeks in cinemas.
Opening weekend: N79.2 million
Ori: The Rebirth is produced by Muyiwa Ademola under Muy Authentic Presentations, and directed by a trio: Muyiwa Ademola, Adekola Tijani, and Tope Adebayo Salami.
The film is a Yoruba-language spiritual/supernatural drama. It acts as a modern reimagining of the 2004 classic Ori.
The story centers around Bisade (played by Muyiwa Ademola), whose life is manipulated by a secret cult led by Yeye Fernandez (played by Sola Sobowale). After a fatal incident, Bisade ends up with amnesia and must reassemble the fragments of his memory and destiny. The cast also includes Toyin Abraham, Bimbo Akintola, and Lateef Adedimeji.
The film hit cinemas on May 1, 2025, in Nigeria. As for box office: Its opening weekend brought in ~ N79,282,875 according to box office reports. Within the first four weeks, it crossed N315.8 Million over time, more recent figures showed it grossed N412,746,225 in total.
Opening weekend: N81.7 million
Iyalode was produced by Toyin Abraham in partnership with Kola Ajeyemi, under FilmOne Studios / Toyin Abraham Productions, and distributed by FilmOne Entertainment.
The film stars Toyin Abraham in the lead, along with a supporting cast drawn from Yoruba cinema (in many cases) and Nollywood personalities.
It opened on June 6, 2025, with an opening weekend figure of N81,708,400 (sometimes rounded) according to box office trackers.
By the end of its theatrical run, Iyalode reportedly grossed N306,336,025 in cinemas across Nigeria.
Opening weekend: N95 million
Reel Love is a 2025 Nigerian romantic film produced by Lara Ojelabi (with the producer credit often also associated with Timini Egbuson, who is a key stakeholder) and directed by Kayode Kasum.
The cast features Timini Egbuson in the lead role (as Tomide Jobi), TJ Omusuku, Atlanta Johnson, Bimbo Ademoye, Funke Akindele, Shaffy Bello, Efa Iwara, Dakore Akande, Lilian Afegbai, and others.
In its opening weekend (3 days), Reel Love took in N95,077,149. In its first five days, it grossed over N107.55 million, and as it continued its run, it surged a reported N167.2 million+ in cumulative box office earnings.
Opening weekend: N100.3million
Co-directed by Funke Akindele and JJC Skillz; produced by Scene One Productions and distributed by FilmOne.
Released around 25 December 2020, it stars Funke Akindele, Chioma Akpotha, Nancy Isime, Eniola Badmus, Bimbo Thomas, Deyemi Okanlawon, among others.
The film opened with approximately N100,326,450 and went on to become one of Nigeria’s highest-grossing films overall.
Opening weekend: N114.2 million
Produced and directed by Funke Akindele (and co-director Adeoluwa Owu) and released prior to ELJ, ATCJ opened with around N114,211,657.
ELJ’s opening day admissions of 9,409 even outpaced ATCJ’s 8,870 admissions despite limited screen availability for ELJ.
Opening weekend: N190.3 million
Directed by Funke Akindele & Tunde Olaoye, and produced by Funke Ayotunde Akindele Network (FAAN) with Olayemi Oshodi.
Released on 13 December 2024, the film stars Funke Akindele (as Jenifa), Falz, Nancy Isime, Stan Nze, Jackie Appiah, Patience Ozokwor and others.
It opened to an unprecedented N190,368,257 (as per your list), and media outlets confirmed it grossed around N206 million in its opening weekend. This performance not only secured the top spot in our ranking but set a new benchmark in Nollywood for opening weekend revenue.
