This was shared with the public by the Nigerian distribution and production company focused on film content, FilmOne, on Instagram on Monday, May 27, 2024.
“Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti hit it big last weekend! 🙌 This movie has amassed over 71 million Naira at the box office. Thank you, Nigeria for showing love and support for this iconic movie. Let’s keep it going,” FilmOne wrote.
This early success immediately underscores a hunger among Nigerian cinema-goers for content that adds value as much as it entertains, dispelling the myth that films with heavy subject matters can’t do well in local cinemas.
The film tells the story of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti‘s mother, from her groundbreaking years as the first female pupil at Abeokuta Grammar School to her union with Israel Ransome-Kuti. She opposed injustices and founded the Abeokuta Women’s Union. This led to a bloody conflict with traditional and colonial leaders who stood in the way of justice and fairness.
The cast includes Omowunmi Dada, Joke Silva, Kehinde Bankole, Adunni Ade, Iyimide Ayo-Olumoko, Ibrahim Suleiman, and Iremide Adeoye.
Funmilayo-Ransome-Kuti-2023-Nollywire
Pulse Nigeria
The film was first screened at the 12th edition of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in 2023, where it won the award for Best Overall Feature Film and Best Screenplay.
Recently, it won Best Writing at the 2024 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA)
Given how much Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti is dominating cinemas, it will be interesting to see how it does on the charts in the coming weeks.