In an unexpected twist, Nollywood’s record-breaking film, A Tribe Called Judah, has been dethroned by the 2024 Hollywood action thriller, The Beekeeper.
Data from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) reveals that The Beekeeper claimed the top spot with a seven-day gross of ₦48,966,985, making it the most-watched cinematic movie in Nigeria for the week starting January 26 to February 1, 2024.
This development pushes A Tribe Called Judah to second place with a gross of N20,312,367 during the same period, bringing its total earnings to ₦1,384,315,042.
Released on December 15, 2023, A Tribe Called Judah initially made waves by grossing over N133m in its opening weekend, setting a new benchmark for Nollywood.
Within three weeks, the film reached a staggering N854m in earnings, solidifying Funke Akindele’s position as one of Nollywood’s top-grossing filmmakers.
However, The Beekeeper has captured the audience’s attention with its gripping storyline about a school teacher who died by suicide after falling victim to a phishing scam and was robbed of $2m, money belonging to a charity she manages.
Her tenant, Adam Clay, found her body but was arrested and accused of the death. After it was discovered that she had died by suicide, Clay was released, but he then took it upon himself to find the scammers.
Directed by David Ayer and starring Jason Statham as the lead character, Adam Clay, the film has garnered widespread acclaim.
Additionally, other Nollywood films like Malaika and Ada Omo Daddy have slipped from the top five, with gross earnings of N6.5m and N3.8m, respectively, in the past week.
The Beekeeper has captivated audiences with its compelling narrative and stellar performances, signaling a new era of competition in the Nigerian film industry.
