In Nollywood, an industry where budget figures are not readily shared, the ₦100m mark at the box office has become a signal of success, if only because it’s a tiny percentage that reach that number.
The faith-based picture What About Us is the latest addition to this rather exclusive club. It is the seventh film released in 2024 to get over that threshold.
Directed by Kayode Kasum from a story by Emmanuel Iren, a popular pastor in Lagos, the film features Uzor Arukwe, Folu Storms, Kunle Remi, Teniola Aladese, and others. It follows a couple navigating the choppy waters of a less-than-ideal marriage complicated by the interest of a neighbour. Film One is responsible for its distribution and Iren is part of the production team.
Speaking about the film weeks ago, Iren said, “I’m very passionate about giving people fun movies that also have lessons.” It is now fair to say that passion has led his first production into that exclusive club.
But, even as this level of success for a faith-based picture is uncommon in Nollywood, the film does deploy the service of certain known quantities. Kasum is quite a commercial juggernaut and some of the film’s cast are highly recognisable faces in Nigeria’s film industry. Film One is also the country’s biggest distribution outfit.
However, some of the film’s success can perhaps be traced to Iren, who is one of the most popular pastors among young churchgoing Nigerians. All of these perhaps contributed to why the film grossed over ₦24m in its opening weekend, after it premiered on July 12, and has continued to welcome audiences.
