Funke Akindele’s ‘Battle on Buka Street’ has set a new record.
After barely nine weeks in theaters, the comedy-drama has made over N640 million, according to data from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN).
When it was finally released in 2022, it quickly became the most successful film in Nollywood history. Omo Ghetto: The Story, another film by Akindele, had previously held the record.
She achieved this feat by making more than N500 million at the local box office, making her the only Nigerian director to do so.
Even outside Nigeria, Akindele is setting new benchmarks. Even though just 11 theaters in the United States screened her critically acclaimed film, it grossed over $60,000.
It’s the first Indigenous Nollywood film to be shown in theaters in the United States, thanks to her.
The United Kingdom also saw the release of the film. Since its premiere on December 12, 2022, ‘Battle on Buka Street’ has been the highest-grossing film in Nigeria.
Akindele’s film grossed N86.63 million on its first day in theaters, beating out James Cameron’s much-anticipated “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
An uncommon event for a Nollywood film, the comedy-drama overtook the action/sci-fi feature at the box office by the second week.
From the 23rd to the 25th of December, Akindele’s film saw a gain of 8%, while ‘Avatar 2’ lost steam and fell behind by 5%.
The Nigerian film continued its reign at the top of the box office for a third week, earning N169.88 million from ticket sales while its major rival earned N93 million.
With its fourth-week earnings of N507.78 million, the Nigerian film became the second Nollywood title ever to gross over N500 million, following ‘Omo Ghetto: The Tale.
In “Battle on Buka Street,” two half-sisters who have been enemies for some time are the focus of a comedic drama. Their competition heats up when they decide to open restaurants on neighboring blocks.
Funke Akindele, Mercy Johnson, Nkem Owoh, Sola Sobowale, Kelvin Ikeduba, Tina Mba, and others are included in the cast.