Director Wunmi Toriola’s ‘Queen Latepa’ achieved N256 million in just 3 weeks of release.

Wunmi Toriola’s latest film, Queen Lateefah, continues its strong performance at the West African box office, grossing N256 million as of its third weekend in October 2024.

Over the weekend of October 18 to 20, the film grossed an additional N23.3 million, making it one of the highest-grossing films at the time, second only to Omoni Oboli’s The Uising.

With this momentum, the movie is well on its way to exceeding $300 million. Just last week, financial news outlet Nairametrics reported that Queen Lateefah grossed N216 million in its first 18 days in cinemas.

According to Cinemax CEO Opeyemi Ajayi, the film will be in theaters for at least 12 weeks, indicating there is significant room for additional revenue.

Queen Lateefah has already surpassed other major Nollywood releases including Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds, which grossed N250 million, and Lakatabu, which grossed over N200 million.

Queen Lateefah’s strong performance reflects the positive outlook for the Nigerian box office heading into the fourth quarter of 2024, further boosted by a number of high-profile upcoming releases.

What you need to know

Co-produced by Wumi Toriola Productions and Captain of the Sea Productions, the film follows the life of Latefa Adeleke, a 30-year-old businesswoman trying to climb the social ladder.

• But her carefully curated image begins to crumble when she encounters Jide Rhodes, a 35-year-old businessman who exposes the rift between her public persona and her real-life circumstances.
• The thematic tension between fantasy and reality is at the heart of the film, providing a multi-layered and compelling narrative.
• Raised by an illiterate mother in poor economic conditions, Latefa’s character lives in an old building with colorful and eccentric neighbors. Despite her grim reality, she portrays herself as a successful, international professional, a contrast that underpins the film’s dramatic core.
• Queen Lateefah’s cast includes some of Nollywood’s top talent, including Kunle Remi, Femi Adebayo, Nancy Isime and two-time African Magic Viewers’ Choice Award winner Broda Shaggi, ensuring a production that will have wide appeal and attention.
• In its opening week, Queen Lateefah earned N102 million, a figure that Cinemax heralded as significant success for Toriola in his producer debut.

Opeyemi Ajayi highlighted Cinemax’s strategic vision to establish itself as a major player in the Nigerian film industry, with a focus on collaborating with local filmmakers and telling African stories.

Queen Lateefah’s success highlights Nollywood’s potential to drive cultural content not only in Nigeria but across Africa.