Nollywood’s faith-based cinema has just had its loudest week in years. The Agbara Nla The Return N71 million box office record is now the talk of Nigerian cinemas, after the film pulled in more than N71 million from its preview screenings alone. That figure was reached before the film even opened officially.
The Numbers Behind the Noise
According to the Nigerian Box Office, an analysis platform that tracks cinema earnings, the film grossed about N70 million from 12,134 admissions between September 25 and October 1. The distributor, Nile Entertainment, later put the total at over N71 million. The film’s reported records include:
- The biggest single-day preview gross ever recorded in West Africa
- The biggest first-day gross for a Nollywood title
- The highest first-day admissions in 2026
- The biggest opening for a faith-based film
It also topped the weekly chart.
A Legend Walks Back Into the Room
The film is a modern retelling of the 1993 classic created by Evangelist Mike Bamiloye. The original reached most Nigerians through VHS tapes and local TV, not cinemas. This time, the story of Abule Muwonleru, where faith confronts witchcraft and occult powers, plays on the big screen. Bamiloye himself returns to his famous 1990s role as Isawuru. Many people who grew up watching the original on a borrowed video player have now bought cinema tickets. Their children, who know the story only by reputation, are sitting beside them.
The Next Generation Takes the Wheel
The Bamiloye family has passed the baton. Damilola Bamiloye and Joshua “JayMikee” Bamiloye directed the film, with Chris Odeh as producer. Mount Zion Film Productions, Sozo Films and the streaming platform Circuits all came together to make the project happen. After the numbers came out, Damilola Bamiloye gave the credit to God. Social media filled with congratulations, and fans celebrated the film as the number one movie of the week.
Why This Matters for African Cinema
For years, gospel films lived mostly on video, church screenings and small distribution networks. This result shows that faith-based stories can fill cinema halls too, and that audiences across the region will show up for them. It also shows the pull of stories people already know and love. Nostalgia brought the older fans, and curiosity seems to have drawn the younger ones. A film built on both is hard to beat.
What Comes Next
The preview figure is only the opening chapter. The film began its nationwide run on October 2, which means the real box office story is just starting. Weekend numbers will show whether the preview crowd was a one-time rush or the start of a long run. For now, one thing is clear. After 33 years, Agbara Nla has returned in a big way, and Nigerian cinemas have taken notice.
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