Behind The Scenes: Funke Akindele Announces New Film

Award-winning Nigerian filmmaker Funke Akindele has confirmed the release of her new film Behind the Scenes, set to hit cinemas this December. The project, co-directed by Tunde Olaoye, who previously collaborated with Akindele on the hit Everybody Loves Jenifa, promises to be a festive blockbuster.

With a pan-African crew drawn from Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, the film has already wrapped up principal photography and is now in post-production. The star-studded cast includes Tobi Bakre, Iyabo Ojo, Uche Montana, Inidima Okojie, Scarlet Gomez, Destiny Etiko, Ibrahim Chatta, Uzoma Arukwe, Dele Odule, Wanni, Handi, Veeiye, Akinyoola Ayoola, and Avenue Balogun Fausat.

Akindele, who has built a reputation for delivering crowd-pulling hits, is expected to once again captivate audiences with Behind the Scenes, combining her trademark storytelling with an ensemble of top Nollywood talent. With the release date just four months away, additional details about the storyline are expected to emerge in the coming weeks.

In a related update, Funke Akindele’s 2024 hit Everybody Loves Jenifa will begin streaming on Prime Video on August 29. The feature shattered box office records, with ₦1.88 billion in total gross, making it the highest-grossing Nigerian film of 2024. Recall that, ELJ debuted across cinemas nationwide on December 13, 2024. It opened to a phenomenal ₦45.22 million on opening day, hit ₦783 million within 14 days, and crossed the ₦1 billion mark in just 19 days, marking the fastest milestone achieved by a Nollywood title. It also went on to screen at international cinemas in Europe and other parts of Africa.

The film continues the story of the character Jenifa, from Akindele’s earlier series. It expands Jenifa’s progress over the years and her romantic relationship with Shegzy. The cast includes Falz, Nancy Isime, . Patience Ozokwor, Jackie Appiah, Adedimeji Lateef, Adebayo Salami (Oga Bello), Layi Wasabi, KieKie, D’banj, and many others.