Wunmi Toriola’s film “Queen Lateefah” is performing exceptionally well at the West African box office, grossing N256 million by its third weekend in October 2024.
The film made N23.3 million between October 18 and 20, making it one of the highest-grossing films at the time, trailing only Omoni Oboli’s “The Uprising.”
The robust earnings suggest that the picture would shortly surpass the N300 million mark. According to a recent report by Business Elites, “Queen Lateefah” earned N216 million in just 18 days.
According to Opeyemi Ajayi, CEO of Cinemax, the picture will remain in theaters for at least 12 weeks, indicating potential for increased revenue.
“Queen Lateefah” has performed better than other major Nollywood films this year, like “Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds,” which grossed N250 million, and “Lakatabu,” which earned more over N200 million.
The film, produced by Wunmi Toriola Productions and Captain of the Sea Productions, depicts the narrative of Lateefah Adeleke, a 30-year-old businesswoman seeking to advance in society.
Her life changes when she meets Jide Rhodes, a 35-year-old businessman who reveals the disparity between how she seems to others and her true self.
The film’s tension-filled plot revolves around the contrast between appearance and truth.
Lateefah, who was reared by a mother who couldn’t read and lives in a dilapidated building with eccentric neighbors.
The cast of “Queen Lateefah” includes well-known performers like as Kunle Remi, Femi Adebayo, Nancy Isime, and Broda Shaggi, who has twice won the African Magic Viewers’ Choice Award.
In its first week, “Queen Lateefah” grossed N100.2 million, a promising start for Toriola as a producer. Ajayi emphasized Cinemax’s ambition of becoming a major participant in the Nigerian film industry by collaborating with local filmmakers and focusing on African stories.
