Nollywood continues its exceptional box-office momentum with the profitable debuts of Queen Lateefah and Farmer’s Bride, which collectively grossed N95.3 million throughout their opening weekend.
The 2 movies, launched concurrently on September 27, 2024, dominated the Nigerian field workplace and set notable milestones.
Wumi Toriola, a famend Nollywood actress, made her cinematic manufacturing debut with Queen Lateefah, which led the cost with N58 million in earnings.
The movie, distributed independently, achieved the best weekend box-office gross for a Nollywood title not tied to a vacation interval, marking a big achievement for each Toriola and the movie’s backers.
The story of Queen Lateefah centres on Lateefah Adeleke, a 30-year-old businesswoman with aspirations of grandeur and high-society standing. Her picture of success is shattered when she encounters Jide Rhodes, a 35-year-old businessman, who slowly unravels her facade. Lateefah, it seems, will not be the delicate globetrotter she claims to be.
Raised in poverty by an illiterate mom, her present life in a run-down constructing with quirky neighbours is a far cry from the approach to life she presents to the world. Her aptitude for deception, coupled along with her glamorous look, drives a lot of the movie’s intrigue.
Co-produced by Wumi Toriola Productions and Captain of the Sea Productions, the movie options a formidable ensemble solid, together with Kunle Remi, Femi Adebayo, Nancy Isime, and two-time African Magic Viewers’ Selection Award winner Broda Shaggi.
In the meantime, Farmer’s Bride, which earned N37.3 million in its opening weekend, additionally loved appreciable success. Distributed by FilmOne Leisure, the movie was celebrated for its robust box-office efficiency, with the distributor sharing an official assertion lauding the record-breaking figures.
What to know
Set in Nineteen Eighties Ibadan, Farmer’s Bride tells the haunting story of Odun, a rich however lonely farmer who seeks companionship in marriage to a a lot youthful bride, Funmi. Their union, nevertheless, rapidly descends into turmoil, as Funmi embarks on a bootleg affair with Odun’s nephew. The plot’s exploration of affection, betrayal, and supernatural penalties captivated audiences.
With a solid that includes a few of Nollywood’s brightest stars, together with Tobi Bakre, Gbubemi Ejeye, and Mercy Aigbe, Farmer’s Bride continues to attract vital consideration. Each movies, now taking part in nationwide, contribute to Nollywood’s ongoing box-office success.
This robust box-office efficiency displays a broader development for the Nigerian movie business, which has now surpassed N5 billion in whole income for the yr. With the field workplace focusing on a record-setting N10 billion in 2024, the success of Queen Lateefah and Farmer’s Bride offers additional proof of Nollywood’s rising stature and industrial viability, each regionally and internationally.
Projections for Field Workplace
Trying forward, the business’s end-of-year efficiency can be on monitor to satisfy its projections. Field workplace heavyweight Funke Akindele is about to launch her much-anticipated movie Everyone Loves Jenifa on December 13, 2024, a continuation of her widespread Jenifa collection that has loved large industrial success. Including to the vacation season’s momentum, Toyin Abraham’s Alakada: Unhealthy and Boujee can be slated for launch, promising to draw audiences with its mix of comedy and star energy. Collectively, these movies are anticipated to cap off an already extraordinary yr for Nollywood, solidifying its place as probably the most dynamic movie industries globally.
