How the Growing Bond Among Nigerian Movie Stars Is Helping Nollywood Thrive
- The Nigerian entertainment sector is doing the numbers in millions in terms of revenue and setting records in and outside the country
- Aside from the music industry, the movie industry is also booming thanks to the improved content and quality cinematography
- It looks like movie stars have come to realise their strength lies in their numbers to help achieve a common goal - promote Nollywood
The Nigerian movie industry, Nollywood, has witnessed phenomenal growth in terms of storytelling, acting, and clean cinematography.
Nollywood was recognised as the third biggest movie industry in the world in terms of revenue earnings after America’s Hollywood and India’s Bollywood in 2013.
Source: Instagram
Ten years later, Nollywood has been doing massive numbers in millions - Imagine a Nigerian movie Merry Men 3 by comedian Ayodeji Maku, popularly known as AY, raking in a total of N33.4 million in box sales at the cinema in one week.
The Nigerian movie industry has moved away from producing home videos to shattering records at the box office and streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon's Prime Video.
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Funke Akindele's Battle on Buka Street, released in 2022, featuring Mercy Johnson, Nkem Owoh, among others, as of the time of writing this article, is the country's highest-grossing film.
As of August 2023, the top three highest-grossing Nollywood movies in 2023, as released by the Cinema Exhibition Association of Nigeria, include Orisa by Odunlade Adekola at N60m, The Kujus Again by Biodun Stephen at N53m, Big Love by Biodun Stephen at N47m.
Reason for the growth in Nollywood
Nollywood stars may have realised that their strength lies in their numbers.
A look at popular actor Femi Adebayo's last two movies movie, Ageshinkole by King of Thieves (Agẹṣinkólé) and Jagun Jagun, showed the use of almost the same cast on the two projects.
The likes of Femi Adebayo and ace movie producer Kunle Afolayan have also learned to merge the old cats with the new cats in the industry in their movies.
Afolayan's Anikulapo is a typical example of the coming together of veterans and new stars.
Healthy rivalry is possible!
Toyin Abraham and Funke Akindele's alleged age-long beef appeared to have ended as the two stars have been drumming support for each other.
In the past, many of their fans were known to pitch them against each other as they tended to drop their movies almost at the same period. In 2022, while Funke dropped Battle on Buka Street, Toyin released Ijakumo: The Born Again Striper.
However, all seemed to be well between the duo as Toyin was among the popular stars who attended Funke's She Must Be Obeyed movie premiere in September.
Like Toyin and Funke, the likes of Odunlade Adekola and Femi Adebayo, among others, have come to realise healthy rivalry is genuinely possible.
The rise in movie premieres.
Movie premieres have also helped Nollywood thrive. In 2023, almost every hit movie produced from Jagun Jagun to She Must Be Obey was premiered days before release.
Nollywood stars have also learned to turn up for one another during movie premieres, with some going as far as making headlines with their style of outfit.
Legit.ng recalls reporting how skit maker Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, better known as Kiekie, made headlines with her outfit to Odunlade Adekola's Orisa movie premiere in July.
The rising bonds in Nollywood could one day make the Nigerian movie industry rise to number one in the world. It is possible.
With international act Ayo Balogun Wizkid recently hinting at venturing into Nollywood, his influence in the music industry could also play out in movies.
Funke Akinlele and Toyin Abraham link up at Mo Abudu's party
Legit.ng reported that Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham, in a viral clip, bonded like sisters at filmmaker Mo Abudu's directorial debut event.
In a video from the event, which took place in Lagos, Broda Shaggi was spotted with Funke and Toyin as they embraced each other while posing for pictures with the skit maker.
Reacting to the clip of the two movie stars, a fan wrote:
"That Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham moment is what we love to see."
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Source: Legit.ng
