Nollywood’s Top Earner Sets December Release for New Feature

Funke Akindele is set to release “The Four: No One Fights Alone” on December 11. The film marks her eighth major theatrical feature and continues her pattern of high-grossing productions in the Nigerian film industry.

The story centers on four women who battle for the future of a young man they love. Akindele described her approach as telling African stories that resonate locally but meet global standards, ensuring international audiences can understand the narrative while expanding the viewer base.

She earned the title of Africa’s most commercially successful filmmaker following the 2025 release of “Behind the Scenes.” That film, which starred Akindele as a real estate mogul reexamining her generosity, generated over 2 billion naira, or roughly $1.6 million. It became the first Nollywood movie to cross that financial threshold and gained a wider audience through its streaming debut on Netflix.

Nollywood remains the world’s second-largest film industry by volume, behind only India. UNESCO data indicates the sector produces more than 2,500 films annually, surpassing Hollywood’s output. Film production serves as the country’s second-largest source of employment, providing jobs for more than 1 million people.

Akindele holds the record as the first African filmmaker to top the Nigerian box office for three consecutive years. Her 2023 film “A Tribe Called Judah” was the first Nollywood movie to earn 1 billion naira, exceeding $745,000. The comedy-drama follows five brothers with different fathers who rob a store to save their sick mother. Akindele wrote the script to tell the story without sugarcoating, drawing inspiration from a woman she knew who faced societal judgment for having seven children by seven men.

Her career breakthrough came with “Jenifa” in 2008, a film about a village girl moving to the city for university. The sequel, “The Return of Jenifa,” played in Nigerian theaters in 2011. In 2024, she released “Everybody Loves Jenifa,” which she identified as her most expensive production to date. The film required travel to Ghana, where the cast and crew filmed at Safari Valley Resorts. Akindele returned to Nigeria to construct all sets herself, a method she prefers over renting existing locations. She confirmed the film recouped its costs through cinema and streaming revenues.

Despite her commercial success, Akindele identified distribution as the primary barrier for African filmmakers. She advocates for global collaboration to share production standards, technology, and distribution channels. She encourages writers to create authentic stories that cross borders, noting that patience is essential in the industry. Akindele hopes to be remembered for creating platforms that allow other women to develop their crafts and have their voices heard.