The
Wedding Party, Nigeria’s latest blockbuster movie, has broken box
office records at every milestone since it was released nationwide to
critical acclaim on December 16.
A
press release from EbonyLife Films at the weekend said that the
Nollywood movie took just two weeks to eclipse the impressive record of
N176 million, held by AY’s ‘A Trip to Jamaica’, emerging with a
staggering N200 million before the New Year weekend was over.
“This
marks an amazing run, as the romantic comedy recorded the biggest
opening weekend in Nollywood history with N36 million, the best-ever
opening week with N66 million, and a jaw-dropping Christmas box office
total of N146 million.
“What
followed appears to be unprecedented, with cinemas in many parts of the
country reporting sold-out screens throughout the rest of the holiday
season, as excited fans who saw earlier screenings returned for a second
round, often with friends and family in tow,” said the statement.
The
feat recorded by The Wedding Party, according to the statement, “was an
amazing response to a Nigerian film suggesting that the producers, the
ELFIKE Film Collective, were right to assemble such a stellar cast and
to trust director, Kemi Adetiba, to guide them to superb performances”.
Relative
newcomers like Banky W and Adesua Etomi, looked comfortable alongside
veteran actors Richard Mofe-Damijo and Ireti Doyle, while the comedic
genius of Sola Sobowale, Ali Baba and AY shone through, it added.
ELFIKE
relied on the collective experience of the partners, EbonyLife Films,
Film One, Koga Studios and Inkblot Productions, to ensure high
production values throughout.
Much
of the appeal of the film is due to a heart warming storyline,
beautiful sets and gorgeous costumes, with most of the audience being
able to identify with the lavish Nigerian wedding, contentious relatives
and almost-chaotic proceedings that defy even the most careful
planning.
The family-friendly theme has attracted larger-than-average groups of all ages and economic backgrounds.
According
to Executive Producer, Mo Abudu, “We really believe that the Nigerian
consumer will support any ‘made in Nigeria’ product, if the quality is
comparable to international standards.
“We wanted to make a film that would make our people proud and the response of movie-goers suggests that we have succeeded.
“Equally
important has been the support of so many sponsors, including Dubai
Tourism, Airtel, Diageo and Bank of Industry, who were instrumental in
getting us off to an amazing start.”
Moses
Babatope, COO of FilmOne Distribution, was delighted by the public
response. “With returns clocking up N200 million, The Wedding Party is
on track to deliver numbers we have never seen before for a Nigerian
film.
“It’s
important to note that it is selling more tickets than Rogue One, part
of the Star Wars franchise and the biggest film worldwide this season.
And there’s more to come – we are looking forward to The Wedding Party
being available worldwide on Netflix, as well as international airlines,
television and DVD,” he said.
The
Wedding Party is only the second film produced by EbonyLife Films. Its
predecessor, Fifty, was the most successful film at the Nigerian box
office in 2015 and has spawned a television series, due to air on
EbonyLife TV in 2017.
Fifty
was the only Nigerian film, and one of only five African films from a
global selection of 238 films, to be screened at the 59th BFI London
Film Festival.
There
are two new films in the works, including a sequel to The Wedding Party
that will ensure more outstanding commercial success for EbonyLife in
2017/18.
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