Nigerian Box Office revenue reaches N8.8B in H1 2026
Call of My Life, a romantic comedy produced by Blessing Uzzi has become the highest-grossing Nigerian film so far in 2026 after earning N817.6 million at the box office. The movie is looking to hit N1 billion making it the first Nollywood film exhibited outside the December release period to reach that milestone.
The romantic comedy, distributed by FilmOne Entertainment, surpassed the previous record for the year set by ‘Michael’, Michael Jackson’s biopic after 11 weeks in cinemas, becoming the highest-grossing Nollywood title, the biggest BluHouse Studios production, the highest-grossing romantic comedy, the biggest May release and the top-performing film of 2026.
This reinforces the industry’s ability to produce commercially successful local films outside the traditional December blockbuster season.
The milestone is high achieving for Nigeria’s cinema business because the film reached the record despite opening in May, a period that has historically generated lower box office returns than the lucrative Christmas and New Year holiday season when most blockbuster titles are released.
The film has also sold more than 123,000 tickets, the highest admissions for any 2026 release, highlighting strong audience demand driven largely by positive word-of-mouth rather than a festive release window.
Directed by Dammy Twitch and produced by Blessing Uzzi, Call of My Life opened with N76.9 million on May 15 before steadily growing its earnings week after week. The film stars Uzoamaka Power, Andrew Yaw Bunting, Zubby Michael and Broda Shaggi.
The performance adds another indicator that audiences are increasingly backing local stories, helping Nigerian productions compete more strongly at the box office as cinema operators seek sustained admissions beyond holiday periods.
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