Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has revealed why she continues to aggressively promote her blockbuster movie, Behind The Scenes, even after it surpassed ₦2.6 billion at the box office.
In a video shared on her Snapchat page on Monday, the award-winning filmmaker responded to a fan who questioned her relentless publicity efforts, despite the film’s remarkable commercial success.
“Someone sent a message to me, and he said, ‘Behind the scenes has grossed over 2.6 billion. Why are you still promoting it?’” she recounted.
“I got relaxed, and I told the person, I said, ‘It’s not about the money. No, it’s not about the money. The most important thing is consistency.’”
According to Akindele, sustained effort and dedication are key ingredients for long-term success.
“If you want to be successful, if you want to keep breaking your record, you want keep breaking new grounds. You have to be consistent with whatever you are doing. You have to be.
“That’s what I told him. I said, listen, yes I want more money, I want more opportunities. I have to keep up with the job.
“I have to keep promoting, I have to keep making noise so that people can get to know about it.
“You know by the time I keep promoting, you’ll be like oh, okay, let me go and watch it.”
Her remarks come weeks after Behind The Scenes shattered records by becoming the first Nollywood film to cross the ₦2 billion mark, solidifying Akindele’s reputation as Africa’s highest-grossing filmmaker.
Announcing the feat on X, film distributor FilmOne Entertainment described the achievement as historic.
“Behind the Scenes has officially BROKEN and SHATTERED records, hitting over 2 BILLION at the box office and becoming the first Nollywood film in West Africa to cross the ₦2 billion mark,” the company stated.
“This is also the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time in Africa, the UK, and Ireland, and makes Funke Akindele the first filmmaker to rank number one at the box office in Africa for three consecutive years… This is now a movement, and we love to see it. From our hearts to yours, thank you for believing in the magic of storytelling and making history with us.”
Akindele also took to X to express gratitude, attributing the success to faith, discipline, and dedication to her craft.
“Records are milestones, not the mission. From A Tribe Called Judah grossing ₦1B to Behind The Scenes crossing ₦2B and still counting, this is God in motion.
“And I’m most grateful to my maker and return all the glory to him. The lesson remains unchanged: serve the story, respect the audience, refine the craft, and let the work earn its applause,” she wrote.
Funke Akindele’s rise from minor acting roles to box-office dominance reflects the growth and expanding global appeal of Nollywood. In January 2024, her film A Tribe Called Judah also made history by earning over ₦1 billion in just three weeks, setting a new standard for the industry.
