New and old contenders battled for 11 months for the attention of Nigerian audiences across the country and only a few stood strong.
Cinema titles with big numbers, despite the streaming platforms contending.
New and old contenders battled for 11 months for the attention of Nigerian audiences across the country and only a few stood strong.
With new and much stronger contenders to come in December, a change to this list is almost inevitable. However, let’s dive right in, to the top five highest-grossing Nollywood titles so far this year.
Orisa
Produced by Nigerian actor, Odunlade Adekola, Orisa is currently the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2023.
Making its debut across cinemas nationwide on July 21, 2023, the Yoruba epic tells the story of a king, who begins losing respect for the gods and his people, putting the kingdom at risk.
Despite the competition from Hollywood blockbusters, Barbie and Oppenheimer, its opening week broke the record of the highest-grossing opening film in Nollywood and the biggest epic opening of the year with ₦27.6 million.
After screening across cinemas nationwide for 14 weeks, Orisa made its exit from the box office charts recorded by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) with a total gross of ₦127.89 million.
Merry Men
Next on the list is Merry Men 3, produced by comedian Ay Makun, after a successful run of the first two titles from the franchise.
The Merry Men franchise is known for constantly breaking the highest gross records with Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons in 2018 recording a total of ₦235,628,358, and Merry Men 2: Another Mission hitting a cumulative of ₦234,505,169.
This time around the second sequel which made its debut on October 13, 2023, achieved ₦100 million after spending only four weeks at the Nigerian theatre.
And now, according to the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) as of December 3, 2023, the crime comedy has a total gross of ₦117,836,230, making it the second highest so far.
Kesari
After a remarkable opening week that almost came close to Orisa’s record, the Yoruba epic grossed a total of ₦41.8 million in just two weeks of its cinema debut.
Produced by Ibrahim Yekini, Kesari is the second Yoruba epic on the highest gross list for the year 2023, which makes this an interesting time for indigenous titles.
Making its debut on August 25, 2023, it took its bow after 11 weeks of viewing, with a gross of ₦78, 106, 925.
Something Like Gold
Produced by first-time cinema producer, Sandra Okunzuwa who also doubles as the lead, the movie follows the story of a lady who finds love again after being stood up at her wedding.
Something Like Gold which is currently still viewed across cinemas nationwide, has a total of ₦60.1 million as of December 3, 2023, making it the highest-grossing romantic drama for this year.
The Kuju’s Again
Directed by the filmmaker, Biodun Stephen, The Kuju’s Again, which is a sequel to the first, Introducing the Kujus released in 2020, made its debut on April 21, 2023.
Starting its theatrical run with ₦19 million at its opening weekend, the comedy-drama closed its viewing with a total of ₦53.53 million.
