Funke Akindele aims for N5bn with new film, defends her marketing approach

Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele wants to make N5bn from her new movie, ‘The Four: No One Fights Alone.’ She is also defending her strong marketing strategy against some criticism.

Akindele shared her goals on Friday during a chat with media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend in Lagos.

When Jideonwo mentioned the N5bn target for the film, Akindele replied,
“I love it. Just N5bn, period. Let’s just start with that. When we get there, we’ll see whether we can keep moving forward.”

The movie will hit Nigerian cinemas on December 11 and will have its international premiere in London on November 29.

Akindele noted that tickets for the London premiere are sold out. She explained that hosting the event abroad is part of her push to reach a wider international audience.
“We just wanted to do it differently. This time around, let’s go global,” she said.

The film boasts a strong cast, including Bisola Aiyeola, Chioma Akpotha, Waje, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Timini Egbuson, Lateef Adedimeji, and Ali Nuhu.

This N5bn goal follows Akindele's past successes. Her films have often broken box office records in Nigeria. Her 2025 film, ‘Behind The Scenes,’ earned around N2.76bn, which was more than ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa,’ that made about N1.88bn in 2024.

Earlier, ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ made around N1.41bn in 2023. Other films like ‘Battle on Buka Street’ and ‘Omo Ghetto: The Saga’ grossed about N668.42m and N636.12m, respectively.

In total, these five films brought in about N7.36bn from cinema ticket sales.

If Akindele reaches the N5bn mark with The Four, it will be an increase of around 81 percent from the earnings of Behind The Scenes, setting a new record for Nigerian cinema.

On her marketing approach, Akindele believes effective promotion is key to success. She said filmmakers should connect with audiences instead of relying just on their names.
“Marketing, for me, is everything. PR is everything.

“Marketing, for me, is intentionality. I have to be intentional about it. What are the plans? What would the audience want to see? You know, the fans out there, what would they like to watch? They are hungry for content,” she explained.

Akindele shared that her marketing campaigns reach different audiences through social media, regular ads, comedy skits, and other promotional materials.

Responding to criticism about her dancing and social media presence during promotions, Akindele said some critics are trying to downplay her work.
“Because they were trying to belittle my work.

“If I dance and I sell my market and you feel you want to also adapt it, go ahead and do. There’s nothing bad. I always say there’s nothing I copy. We are inspired by people,” she said.

She insisted that her marketing style is not a competition with other filmmakers. She believes there is enough space for various producers to thrive.
“It’s not competition. No, please. We can all do it right. I respect a lot of filmmakers out there,” she stated.

Akindele also shared that promoting her past films has been both physically and emotionally draining. She recalled how one influencer turned down a collaboration offer even though she was ready to pay.

She mentioned that during another film promotion, she often forgot her lines due to exhaustion, which forced her to pause filming.

Looking ahead, the filmmaker plans to grow her company’s digital operations by 2027. She aims to release new films, reality shows, and partner with up-and-coming creatives.
“We’re partnering with a lot of young filmmakers. We need young directors. Our YouTube channel will be buzzing from 2027. You’re going to love different films, content, reality shows,” she said.

Akindele is also considering working with filmmakers in Africa, including those from Kenya, Egypt, and Algeria. This is all part of her goal to broaden the international appeal of Nigerian stories.