Nigeria’s film powerhouse, Nollywood, continues to impress with captivating stories and box office dominance. Filmone and COMSCORE have revealed the top 20 highest-grossing films of 2023, showcasing a diverse mix of local and international hits that resonated with Nigerian audiences.
Leading the pack is the record-shattering ‘A Tribe Called Judah’, directed by Adeoluwa Owu and Funke Akindele. This drama film, released in December 2023, raked in N1.41 billion, solidifying its place as the year’s undisputed box office leader and record breaker. It became the first Nollywood movie to make and surpass the one billion naira.
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Hollywood blockbusters also found favour with Nigerian viewers. ‘Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom’ secured the second spot with over N536 million, followed by ‘The Battle On Buka Street’, a holdover hit from December 2022 that maintained its momentum into the new year, grossing over N376 million. The John Wick relentless action franchise secured fourth place with N367 million.
Nollywood actor and filmmaker Toyin Abraham continued her reign with the heartwarming comedy ‘Malaika’, released in December 2023. The film touched audiences, grossing over N303 million, and landing at number five.
Fast-paced action took centre stage with ‘Fast X’ in sixth place, followed by the thrilling ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1’ in seventh, both surpassing the N220 million mark.
Even the whimsical world of ‘Barbie’ found a dedicated audience in Nigeria, grossing over N229 million and landing at number eight. Mercy Aigbe’s directorial debut, ‘Ada Omo Daddy’, proved another crowd-pleaser, placing ninth with over N219 million.
The highly anticipated sequel ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, held onto the tenth spot with N180 million, demonstrating the enduring popularity of the franchise. Rounding out the top 15 are ‘Ijakumo: The Born-Again Stripper’, ‘Creed III’, ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’, and ‘The Equalizer 3’, all exceeding N130 million each.
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The superhero universe remained strong, with ‘The Marvels’ and ‘Blue Beetle’ securing spots 16 and 17, respectively, followed by the action-packed ‘Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts’ and the animated adventure ‘Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse.’ Rounding out the top 20 is the indigenous language film ‘Orisa’, showcasing the diverse storytelling that continues to define Nollywood.
This list highlights Nollywood’s continued success alongside the popularity of established Hollywood franchises. While these figures likely only reflect domestic box office gross, they paint a clear picture of a thriving film industry captivating Nigerian audiences.
