The highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time is finally coming home to screens everywhere. Funke Akindele’s “Behind the Scenes” begins streaming on Netflix April 3, bringing its historic cinematic run to a global audience hungry for Nigerian cinema at its finest.
The film shattered expectations during its theatrical release, grossing over ₦2.7 billion across West Africa and becoming the first Nollywood title to cross the ₦2 billion mark. More than 450,000 tickets were sold before its mid-March exit, cementing its place in the history books.
While many filmmakers abandoned theaters for streaming after COVID-19, Akindele bet big on the big screen. She committed to a cinema-first approach that consistently dominated December box office seasons, turning theatrical releases into cultural events audiences refused to miss.
“Behind the Scenes” represents the full flowering of that strategy. The film hit ₦512 million in just 12 days and earned a historic ₦129 million in a single day on Boxing Day 2025, numbers that seemed impossible for Nollywood just a few years ago.
This Netflix deal follows a proven pattern. Akindele’s previous collaborations with Amazon Prime Video saw hits like “Battle on Buka Street,” “A Tribe Called Judah,” and “Everybody Loves Jenifa” transition to streaming after dominating cinemas. The formula works: build theatrical momentum, then expand globally through platforms hungry for content with built-in audiences.
“Finding Me” premiered directly on Prime Video, proving Akindele can deliver regardless of platform. But her heart remains in the cinema-first model that built her empire and shattered Nollywood box office records along the way.
Co-directed by Tunde Olaoye and starring a who’s who of Nigerian talent, “Behind the Scenes” features Scarlet Gomez, Uzor Arukwe, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, and Iyabo Ojo . The ensemble delivers exactly what audiences expect from Akindele productions: sharp comedy, genuine heart, and moments that feel ripped from real life.
