Entertainment
Showcasing Hollywoods Big Action Films
This summer is full of big action films, pricey sequels and 3-D extravaganzas. But one of the most buzzed-about films is a low-budget comedy called MacGruber. According to the Los Angeles Times, the film “brought down the house” when it was screened recently at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Tex.
MacGruber, starring Saturday Night Live cast member Will Forte, is based on an SNL sketch about a MacGyver-esque agent who tries (in vain) to defuse bombs using ordinary household items. Forte was able to make the film edgier than the sketches (including a villain named Dieter Von Cunth), earning MacGruber an R rating.
If the film is a box-office success when it comes Forte could be on his way to joining the pantheon of SNL members who have succeeded at the box office. Many have tried to make the leap, but only a few have become box-office heroes.
Topping our list is Eddie Murphy. The comedian performed on SNL during some of its strongest seasons from 1980 to 1984. From there he went on to star in successful movies like Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America and The Nutty Professor.
But it was his work in the animated Shrek series from DreamWorks Animation that has propelled him to No. 1 on our list. As the voice of Donkey, Murphy has become a key player in a franchise that has earned $2.2 billion at the box office so far. That total will jump later this month when the final film, Shrek Forever After, hits theaters in 3-D (opposite MacGruber, which will likely attract a more mature audience).
Over the last 10 years Murphy’s films have earned $3.6 billion at the box office. In addition to the Shrek films, he’s starred in box-office winners like Daddy Day Care and Dr. Dolittle 2. Lately Murphy’s box-office prowess has come into question, though, with a series of duds including Meet Dave and Imagine That, both of which failed to earn back their production budgets at the box office.
To compile our list we looked at SNL cast members’ film work over the last 10 years and added up global box-office earnings. Usually we don’t count animation roles in these sorts of lists because the audiences often don’t know or care who is voicing the characters. We made an exception this time because Murphy and Mike Myers are so inextricably linked with the Shrek movies that the series has become as much about the actors as about the characters (which is why Murphy, Myers and Cameron Diaz earn upwards of $10 million each for their work in each film).
The Shrek films helped land Myers, who voices the green ogre, in second place with $3 billion. Like Murphy, Myers has had a rough couple of years outside of the Shrek films, culminating with the 2008 box-office bomb The Love Guru. From Viacom studio Paramount Pictures, the comedy earned only $40 million at the global box office on an estimated budget of $60 million.
In third place is Adam Sandler. Few actors are as successful at the box office as Sandler. His films have earned $2.1 billion in the last 10 years without the help of a successful animated franchise like Shrek. His 2008 film Bedtime Stories earned $213 million at the global box office.
Robert Downey Jr. ranks fourth with $2 billion. The Iron Man actor was only a cast member for one year in 1985 when the show was in a ratings free fall. After his run on SNL he appeared in well-received movies like Less Than Zero and Chaplin, but struggles with drugs temporarily derailed his career. In the last few years Downey has enjoyed one of the greatest career resurgences Hollywood has seen with hits like Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes. Iron Man 2 last weekend had the fifth-highest opening of all time, taking in $134 million at the U.S. box office.
The only woman who makes our list is Tina Fey, whose films have earned $340 million at the box office, ranking her ninth. Her most recent movie, Date Night, is also her most successful, with $116 million at the box office so far.
Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes becomes Nollywood’s highest-grossing film of 2025, earning ?1.77bn in under four weeks.
Multi-award-winning actress and producer Funke Akindele has done it again, and this time, the numbers speak louder than applause.
Her latest film, Behind The Scenes, has officially emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2025, pulling in an astonishing ?1.767 billion in less than four weeks.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Funke Akindele Makes Box Office History as Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn
Earlier in its release cycle, the film’s distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, revealed that Behind The Scenes smashed five opening-weekend records, including the highest single-day gross ever recorded on Boxing Day, with ?129.5 million in one day. That announcement already hinted that something unusual was unfolding.
Reacting to the milestone, FilmOne described the moment as both surreal and communal, crediting audience loyalty for pushing the film to the top spot once again as the number-one movie of the weekend. And that sentiment feels accurate. This wasn’t just ticket sales; it was momentum.
What makes this achievement even more striking is that Behind The Scenes is Funke Akindele’s third film to cross the ?1 billion mark. Before now, there was A Tribe Called Judah, and then Everybody Loves Jenifa, a film that didn’t just open big, but went on to become the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time. At this point, it’s no longer a fluke. It’s a pattern.
Part of Behind The Scenes’ success lies in strategy. The film enjoyed advanced screenings on December 10 and 11, quietly building curiosity and conversation before its nationwide release on December 12. By the time it officially hit cinemas, audiences already felt like they needed to see it.
Then there’s the cast. The film brings together a lineup that feels deliberately stacked: Scarlet Gomez, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, and several others. Familiar faces, strong fan bases, and performances that kept word-of-mouth alive long after opening weekend.
Still, beyond timing and casting, there’s something else at work here. Funke Akindele understands Nigerian audiences. Their humour, their pacing, their emotional buttons. She doesn’t guess, she calculates, experiments, listens, and refines. That understanding has slowly turned into box-office dominance.
Behind The Scenes crossing ?1.77 billion isn’t just another headline; it’s confirmation. Funke Akindele has moved from being a successful actress to becoming one of the most reliable commercial forces Nollywood has ever produced. Three-billion-naira films don’t happen by luck. They happen when storytelling, business sense, and audience trust align.
And right now, that alignment seems firmly in her hands.
Popular Nigerian music stars, Adekunle Kosoko, widely known as Adekunle Gold, and his wife, Simi, have become parents again this time to twins.
The award-winning singer shared the joyful update on his Snapchat story on Wednesday, confirming the expansion of their family.
“Asked God for another child and he blessed me double,” she wrote.
While the couple has not yet disclosed the gender of the newborns, the announcement has sparked an outpouring of warm wishes from admirers, fellow celebrities, and industry colleagues.
Speculation had intensified in December when Simi posted a video on Instagram accompanied by the caption, “From my baby, for my babies.”
The clip showed her with a growing baby bump, fueling anticipation that another child was on the way.
Their latest blessings arrive just weeks after Simi highlighted a scene from Adekunle Gold’s newly released music video, “My Love is the Same,” further stirring excitement among fans.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Adekunle Gold and Simi who tied the knot in 2019 after a long history of friendship and musical synergy remain one of Nigeria’s most admired entertainment power couples. Both artistes were once signed to X3M Music before soaring into mainstream acclaim.
The pair welcomed their first child, Adejare Kosoko, fondly called Deja, in May 2020.
After closing out 2025 with the release of “Praise the Lord” featuring Magnito, Jesse Flames enters the new year with renewed clarity and purpose, continuing to build a body of work rooted in intention rather than noise. In a moment where Afrobeats is moving faster and louder than ever, his approach remains measured and deliberate, prioritizing meaning, craft, and longevity over momentary attention. The official music video arrives January 10.
Following the momentum of his breakout single “FLEX,” “Praise the Lord” represents a shift from celebration to grounding. Reflective and soulful, the record centers gratitude, growth, and perspective, capturing a quieter confidence that resonates beyond a single moment.
“This song is about recognizing the full picture,” Jesse shares. “The work people see and the work they don’t. The lessons, the setbacks, the growth.”
The collaboration with Magnito, a respected voice in Nigerian hip hop known for his sharp lyricism and cultural authenticity, adds depth and weight to the record, reinforcing its themes of resilience, faith, and self reflection.
Released in December at the height of Detty December, “Praise the Lord” became a natural soundtrack for both celebration and reflection as the year came to a close. With the video arriving in January, the record takes on new meaning, opening the year as a tone setter rather than a reset.
Born in the United States, raised in Festac, Lagos, and now based in London, Jesse Flames brings a global perspective to his sound, blending Afrobeats, hip hop, and melodic soul into something sleek and intentional. His music reflects lived experience and cultural nuance rather than trend chasing.
The Tide Entertainment reports that with over 11 million streams, performances at O2 Brixton Academy and OVO Arena Wembley, and coverage from The Guardian and Business Post Nigeria, Jesse’s rise has been steady and self made. Looking ahead to 2026 and 2027, he is preparing for collaborations with Ice Prince, M.I Abaga, and Smurlee.
“Praise the Lord” ft. Magnito is available now on all streaming platforms.
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