10 Movies That Crossed N100 Million at the Nigerian Box Office in 2026 So Far

Nigeria’s cinema industry is having its best run in years. In 2026, ten films have already made over N100 million at the box office, showing that audiences are excited to return to theaters for both Nollywood and international movies.

A strong first quarter sets the tone for the year.

The year started strong for Nigeria’s cinemas, which saw their best first-quarter admissions in six years. By early April, 752,136 tickets had been sold. This early boost helped several local and international films reach the N100 million mark, with some hitting that milestone in their opening weekends.

Michael leads the pack with a record-breaking run.

The biographical drama Michael is the top earner so far, making N691 million in Nigeria and Ghana. Its opening was record-breaking, with N323.89 million in the first ten days from 45,756 admissions. Unusually, Michael’s earnings grew by 16 percent in its second weekend, bringing in N130.9 million. This rare momentum suggests strong word-of-mouth kept people coming back after the initial buzz.

Call of My Life becomes the year’s biggest Nollywood success.

This romantic comedy, directed and edited by Dammy Twitch and written by Uzoamaka Power, is now the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2026 and ranks among the top ten of all time, earning N498 million. The film tells the story of a woman starting over after a tough breakup, starring Beverly Osu, Nkem Owoh, Patience Ozokwor, and Broda Shaggi. Since its release on May 15, 2026, it has continued to draw strong support from audiences across West Africa.

Love and New Notes rewrites the rules for Nollywood openings.

A romantic drama, New Notes made history as the first Nollywood film to earn over N100 million in its opening weekend outside the usual December holiday season. Since its release on February 13, 2026, it has made N400.17 million. Its first weekend alone brought in N106 million, making it the top Nollywood debut of the year at that time. The Nollywood action thriller, produced by and starring Iyabo Ojo, built on the success of its predecessor and delivered one of the strongest holiday openings in recent memory, ending with N351 million in total earnings. Released on April 3, 2026, it brought in N104.8 million during its Easter opening weekend, a new benchmark for holiday releases, before going on to become one of the highest-grossing sequels in Nollywood history.

Mortal Kombat II shows Hollywood action still draws crowds.

The Hollywood action sequel made N200 million in Nigeria and nearby West African markets, after first reaching N127.7 million. Directed by Simon McQuoid, the movie brings back popular characters and adds new ones. Its steady success shows that Nigerian audiences still enjoy big-budget international action films.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 proves nostalgia still sells

The sequel to the 2006 film brought back Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci. It had a big Lagos premiere before its nationwide release on May 1, 2026, and has earned over N181.9 million. The movie opened with N62.2 million in its first weekend and kept growing, proving that nostalgic franchises still attract Nigerian audiences.

Onobiren: A Woman’s Story demonstrates the staying power of faith-based cinema

This faith-based Nollywood drama ran in theatres for seven weeks and earned a total of N138.1 million. It opened on March 6, 2026, with a debut weekend of N30.1 million, topping the Nigerian box office at that time. The story follows a woman’s journey of resilience and purpose. Its long run shows that faith-based films can keep selling tickets steadily, not just rely on a big opening weekend.

Crime 101 shows international action titles still find an audience.

This international action crime thriller, distributed in Nigeria by FilmOne Entertainment, was widely shown in cinemas after its release on February 13, 2026, and made N143 million across West Africa. It started with a London premiere and features a strong ensemble cast. The film’s success shows that international action movies can still do well in Nigeria alongside local films.

Efunroye climbs steadily with historical storytelling.

This historical epic tells the story of 19th-century merchant and kingmaker Madam Efunroye Tinubu. The film earned over N102 million, growing steadily instead of having a huge opening. It started with N29.5 million in its first weekend and reached N38.4 million by the end of its first week.

Ajosepo: The Gathering rounds out the list as the seventh Nollywood entry

This Nollywood family drama is the seventh local film this year to earn over N100 million. Directed by Kayode Kasum, it tells a wedding-focused story about generational tension and opened on May 28, 2026, with N41.3 million in its debut weekend, featuring a wide ensemble cast that helps it appeal across different audience segments.

What this trend means for Nigeria’s cinema economy

The fact that so many films are making over N100 million this year shows that the market is growing. Both local and international movies are finding big audiences. For Nollywood, having seven local films on this list, covering drama, romance, faith-based stories, and action shows that producers are more confident about releasing movies in theaters instead of just online.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which movie is the highest-grossing film at the Nigerian box office in 2026 so far?
Michael, a biographical drama, leads with N691 million in combined earnings across Nigeria and Ghana as of mid-2026.

Which Nollywood film has earned the most at the box office in 2026?
Call of My Life, a romantic comedy directed by Dammy Twitch, is the highest-grossing Nollywood release of 2026 with N498 million.

How many Nollywood films crossed N100 million in 2026?
Seven Nollywood films are featured on this list, spanning genres including drama, romance, action, and faith-based storytelling.

What made Love and New Notes historically significant?
It became the first Nollywood film to surpass N100 million during its opening weekend outside the traditional December holiday season.

How did Nigeria’s cinema industry perform in early 2026?
The industry recorded its strongest first-quarter admissions in six years, with 752,136 tickets sold in Q1 2026.

Did any international films perform well in Nigeria in 2026?
Yes, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Crime 101, and Mortal Kombat II all crossed N100 million, showing continued strong demand for Hollywood titles.