Funke Akindele has once again proven her box office pull. Her new film, Behind The Scenes, has opened to more than ₦200 million in Nigerian cinemas, delivering the biggest opening weekend recorded so far in 2025.

The milestone places the film firmly at the top of this year’s box office rankings. According to figures released by FilmOne Entertainment, Behind The Scenes is the first Nollywood title in 2025 to cross the ₦200 million mark within its debut weekend. It also set five separate opening weekend records and posted the highest cinema admissions of the year to date. In practical terms, this was not a slow build. It was an immediate and emphatic arrival.

FilmOne confirmed the achievement in a celebratory Instagram announcement, hailing Akindele as the “Queen of Box Office” and crediting cinema audiences across Nigeria for the strong turnout. The distributor also noted that the film remains in wide theatrical release, indicating that its earnings are expected to rise further in the coming weeks.

At the heart of Behind The Scenes is a theme many Nigerians know all too well: black tax and the financial pressures that come with family expectations. The story centres on Scarlet Gomez, with support from a large ensemble cast that includes Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, Uzor Arukwe, Ini Dima Okojie, Ibrahim Chatta, Mr Macaroni, Kamo State, and Handi and Wanni Danbaki. Funke Akindele also appears on screen, adding to the film’s appeal for longtime fans.

The scale of the opening weekend feels even more significant when viewed against Akindele’s recent track record. Her previous release, Everybody Loves Jenifa, raised the bar for Nollywood cinema performance. That film surpassed the ₦113 million opening previously set by A Tribe Called Judah and went on to become the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time, earning over ₦1.8 billion in Nigeria alone.

Everybody Loves Jenifa recorded 38,353 cinema admissions, including advance screenings, crossed ₦1 billion by late December 2024, and continued attracting audiences into early 2025. Its success reshaped industry expectations and demonstrated the commercial potential of locally produced films. With Behind The Scenes, Akindele is not repeating that achievement. She is extending it.

Meanwhile, the timing of this release adds another layer to the story. Nollywood is still adjusting to changing cinema habits, ticket pricing, and audience preferences. Against that backdrop, a film focused on family obligations and social pressure has drawn large crowds nationwide. According to industry observers, this suggests that relevance and emotional resonance remain powerful drivers of cinema attendance.

The ₦200 million opening weekend is more than a headline figure. It reinforces Funke Akindele’s status as Nollywood’s most dependable box office name, highlights FilmOne Entertainment’s distribution strength, and confirms that Nigerian audiences will continue to support stories that reflect their lived realities.

As Behind The Scenes continues its run in cinemas, its opening performance already stands as one of the defining moments of Nollywood’s 2025 cinema year. It also marks another step in a career that continues to reshape what commercial success looks like in Nigerian film.