Entertainment
Encouraging The Art Of Remake In Nollywood
Whenever a remake of a film is announced, it either raises interests to the possibilities or gets fans in a tizzy. Some remakes are cash-grab based, allowing the studio to capitalize on existing Intellectual Property (IP).
However, remakes aren’t always as bad a thing as social media rants would have you believe. While some are unnecessary, some are updates which take advantage of the change in film technology since the original film was made, and also the changing times. Not many fans of The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Ocean’s 11 (2001), The Italian Job (2003) know that they are remakes of films of the same title from 1968, 1960 and 1969 respectively.
Sometimes Hollywood remakes a film from another country. The Departed (2006) which finally won Martin Scorsese a Directing Oscar is a remake of a Hong Kong film, Infernal Affairs (2002). The Magnificent Seven (1960) is a remake of Japanese film, The Seven Samurai (1954). Chris Nolan’s third film Insomnia (2002) is a remake of a Norwegian film of the same name from 1997. Bringing it closer to the Motherland, Boda Boda Thieves (2015) is a remake cum adaptation of Vittoro Da Sica’s classic, Bicycle Thieves (1948), transplanting it from post World War 2 Italy to working-class Uganda.
It is even more interesting to note that some filmmakers have remade their own films. Alfred Hitchcock remade The Man Who Knew too Much (1934) in 1956. Michael Haneke did a remake of Funny Games (1997) in 2007; the first in his home country of Austria and the second after he was established in the United States.
Do you love the movie Heat (1995) which put Robert De Niro and Al Pacino together on screen for the first time? Fun fact, it’s a remake of a TV movie called LA Takedown (1989). Both were written and directed by Michael Mann. With Heat, Mann now as a more experienced director, had more creative control, a bigger budget and two of America’s finest actors as his leads.
This begs the question, What if Nigerian filmmakers had the chance to revisit and remake some of their films?
The earliest days of Nollywood had many limitations in terms of know-how, equipment and other restrictions. Big budget films could afford to shoot on Betacam SP. Intermediate budget, U Matic. Low budget: Super VHS, No budget: VHS
Today some Nollywood films are shot with the same cameras and lenses available to Hollywood and Bollywood productions. What would some of those classics look like with the equipment available today and recon- textualised for a Post Military Nigeria?
What would a Diamond Ring, Silent Night, Rattlesnake, Hostages, Karashika, look like with today’s working cinematographers and dynamic range of today’s cameras. How would they feel with grading and colour correction not available 15- 20 years ago?
Why remake?
Well, a lot of things have changed over the years in terms of what’s possible in filmmaking in Nigeria. A filmmaker with a DSLR, good prime lenses and Adobe Premier on a high-speed laptop can achieve a lot more than what was possible between the mid-90s and early 2000s on built-in single-lens cameras and Non Linear Editing (NLE).
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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