This is really a joyful moment for Nollywood star actress, Wumi Toriola as her debut cinema movie, Queen Lateefah, crossed the N300 million mark at the box office, making the movie to ranked among the top 7 Nollywood’s highest box office earner which is really a big boost for her acting career.
Queen Lateefah, the Nigerian cinematic sensation, has grossed over N350 million at the box office since its release on September 27.
The film is now the seventh highest-grossing Nollywood movie to date and holds the distinction of being the top-earning release outside of the lucrative December period, unadjusted for inflation.
This box office success, as reported by Nigerian Box Office, underscores the increasing appetite for Nollywood’s homegrown stories.
Joining the ranks of blockbusters such as Ajosepo, which earned N257.2 million, and Ajakaju, with N252.8 million, Queen Lateefah has quickly established itself as a high performer within Nollywood’s non December releases.
Queen Lateefah’s journey to its current box office standing has been marked by significant milestones. Within three weeks of its premiere, the film crossed the N200 million mark, an achievement few Nigerian films reach. By mid-October, box office receipts totaled N216 million, solidifying its place among the highest-grossing films in the country’s history.
The film’s success can be attributed to its broad appeal and the meticulous distribution strategy executed by Cinemax Distribution. Ope Ajayi, Cinemax’s founder and a leading voice in Nollywood’s distribution and production sector, highlighted the importance of connecting audiences with stories that resonate culturally and emotionally.
“Our goal at Cinemax is to empower Nigerian storytellers by ensuring their work reaches the right audience,” Ajayi stated. “Queen Lateefah’s success is proof that there is a growing appetite for local stories that reflect the diverse realities and aspirations of Nigerian viewers. The box office numbers reflect a collective embrace of our culture and stories, and this is just the beginning for Nollywood.”
The sustained success of Queen Lateefah signals a new chapter for Nollywood, which increasingly demonstrates its ability to stand toe-to-toe with international releases. Despite facing competition from foreign films, Queen Lateefah’s consistent ticket sales throughout October illustrate Nollywood’s growing influence and the broadening market for Nigerian cinema.
Wumi Toriola was born in Lagos, Nigeria. She attended Providence Primary and Secondary School in Lagos State before she later proceeded to University of Ilorin where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics.
In 2009, Toriola got her first acting role in the movie titled Odunfa Caucus, and produced her first movie titled Ajewunmi in 2015.
In 2018, she won the Fastest Rising Actress (Yoruba) award at the City People Entertainment Awards.
The prolific actress has featured in many Nollywood movies such as Alakada Reloaded, Ayomipo, Wedding Ring, Our Love Story, False Flag, The Cokers, Battle on Buka Street, Ija, Crossroads, Farmer’s Bride, etc. She had also produced her own movie which includes Obinrin, Ajewunmi, My Past, Ayo Ife, Sugbon Kan and Omo Better.
