Funke Akindele’s A Tribe Called Judah has broken the record as the first Nollywood movie to hit a billion naira at the box office.
The filmmaker’s production partner on the project, FilmOne Entertainment, announced the milestone in a statement on Thursday, January 4, 2024.
A Tribe Called Judah premiered in cinemas nationwide on December 15, 2023, and kick-started with a total of ₦113.3 million, which made it the highest-grossing Nollywood opening weekend for the year. The movie has remained a massive hit with audiences in its nearly three-week run, selling out in cinemas across the country. It’s also currently showing in the United Kingdom.
According to the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), A Tribe Called Judah finished 2023 with a total gross of ₦854.3 million, the highest-grossing Nollywood movie for 2023 and the highest ever.
Akindele is also the filmmaker behind Nollywood’s second highest-grossing movie of all time, Battle on Buka Street (₦668 million), and the third highest-grossing movie of all time, Omo Ghetto: The Saga (₦636 million).
Moses Babatope, the Group Deputy Managing Director of FilmHouse Group, said the new milestone proves Nigerian cinema is in its golden era.
“Funke Akindele’s A Tribe Called Judah reaching the one billion naira mark is an indication that despite the stiff competition from international streaming platforms, our local content continues to thrive, engaging audiences on a grand scale,” he said.
A Tribe Called Judah follows five brothers: Jide Kene Achufusi as Emeka Judah, Timini Egbuson as Pere Judah, Uzee Usman as Adamu Judah, Tobi Makinde as Shina Judah, and Olumide Oworu as Ejiro Judah, who must unite to rob a company to save their mother, played by Akindele as Jedidah Judah.
