“Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti” Hits ₦100 Million, “Ajosepo” Threatens to Oust “Beasts of Two Worlds”

Heading into its third weekend, Nollywood’s latest biopic, “Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti,” has grossed over ₦100 Million at the Box Office, becoming only the fourth movie this year to reach this milestone.

Already the highest-grossing biopic in West Africa, the film has raked in ₦108 million as of June 5, with an impressive ₦46 million earned in its opening week, according to the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN).

This achievement places “Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti” among the elite club of Nollywood films that have crossed the ₦100 million mark in 2024, alongside February’s romance movie “All’s Fair In Love” (₦130 million), March’s Yoruba epic “Beasts of Two Worlds: Ajakaju” (₦250 million), and April’s romantic comedy “Ajosepo” (₦245 million).

Speaking of “Ajosepo,” the romantic comedy directed by Kayode Kasum is on a hot pursuit to dethrone “Beasts of Two Worlds: Ajakaju” as the highest-grossing Nollywood movie of 2024. With earnings of ₦11 million in its seventh week and an additional ₦5 million in its eighth, “Ajosepo” is close to the top spot, currently held by the Yoruba epic.

Although “Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti” is still halfway through its theatrical run, its impressive 9% second-week drop, which is far better than “Ajosepo’s” 19%, is indicative of strong enough legs to achieve a ₦200 million-plus finish.

However, Bolanle Austen-Peters’ biopic will have to contend with “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” currently topping the charts with a ₦53.3 million first-week gross. The director will bank on Nigerians’ increasing taste for indigenous content to oust the Warner Bros. epic from its place and bridge the gap between her movie and “Ajosepo.”

As the box office battle heats up, it remains to be seen which Nollywood blockbuster will emerge as the highest-grossing film of 2024.