Mercy Aigbe’s Thin Line Debuts with ₦28 Million, Gladiator II Climbs to Fourth Highest-Grossing Film of 2024

Mercy Aigbe’s latest Nollywood thriller, “Thin Line“, made its theatrical debut with ₦24.5 million over its opening weekend, bolstered by an additional ₦3.9 million from weekday advanced previews, bringing its total to ₦28.4 million.

According to data from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Box Office tracker, the film ranked fourth in the December 13–15 box office chart. It trailed Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter” (₦26 million), Disney’s “Moana 2” (₦27.9 million), and Funke Akindele’s “Everybody Loves Jenifa”, which continued its dominance with a staggering ₦190 million.

“Thin Line”’s performance is slightly stronger than Aigbe’s previous production, “Ada Omo Daddy”, which launched with ₦27.7 million in a similar period. The film, however, achieved a rare feat, surpassing ₦200 million at the Nigerian box office despite an opening below ₦40 million.

With a packed December lineup of high-profile releases, “Thin Line” will need sustained audience interest to replicate such success. The film stars Uzor Arukwe, Iyabo Ojo, The Cute Abiola, and Yvonne Jegede, a cast lineup expected to draw substantial attention during the holiday season.

Meanwhile, Ridley Scott’s epic sequel, “Gladiator II”, earned ₦13.5 million in its fifth weekend, a 58.46% drop from last week’s ₦32.5 million.

However, this brought its total earnings to ₦372.1 million, officially surpassing Wunmi Toriola’s “Queen Lateefah” (₦369 million) to become the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2024.

The film’s legacy as a sequel to the Oscar-winning “Gladiator” (2000) and its positive reviews continue to drive its performance, making it likely to cross the ₦400 million milestone in the coming weeks.