Nile Entertainment’s crime thriller, “The Uprising: Wives on Strike III” stormed the box office last weekend after opening with a strong ₦28.2 million.
With such numbers, the movie raked numerous records. Not only was it the highest earner of the October 18 – 20 weekend in Nigeria, it was also the biggest in West Africa. It’s opening weekend boasted the best ever for an October Nollywood release, as well as the biggest launch for both the “Wives on Strike” franchise and a Nollywood crime thriller.
For comparison “Criminal,” another Nollywood crime thriller released earlier this year, made ₦55.8 million in its entire theatrical run.
Adding to its success, “Wives on Strike III” also garnered an impressive ₦10 million from ticket presales, setting a new record for the highest presale earnings for a Nollywood film.
The strong performance of “Wives on Strike III” came during an equally impressive weekend for
Nollywood at the box office, with films from the industry claiming the top four spots on the charts. “Queen Lateefah” took second place with ₦23.3 million (bringing its cumulative total to ₦256.6 million), while “Farmer’s Bride” followed closely with ₦12 million (totaling ₦133 million). New release “3 Working Days” made it the top four with ₦10.1 million. This marks the first time since the post-Covid era that Nollywood films have swept the top four positions.
Directed by Omoni Oboli and penned by Cheta Chukwu “The Uprising: Wives on Strike III” follows a mother’s quest to rescue her abducted son, which takes a violent turn. It is the third installment in the Wives on Strike franchise, following “Wives on Strike” (2016) and “Wives On Strike: The Revolution” (2018).
With a star-studded cast that includes industry juggernauts like Chioma Akpotha, Uche Jombo, Okey Bakassi, Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori (KieKie), May Yul-Edochie, Ufuoma McDermott, Hilda Dokubo, and Omoni Oboli herself, “The Uprising: Wives on Strike III” is poised to maintain its top position at the box office next week, even as “Queen Lateefah” aims to reclaim its crown.
