Iyalode, the latest cinematic venture from actress and producer Toyin Abraham, is on track to become one of the highest-grossing epic films in the second half of 2025.
Since its premiere on June 6, the historical drama has amassed an impressive N292.8 million at the Nigerian box office in just five weeks, solidifying its position among the top-performing local titles of the year.
Directed by Adebayo Tijani and co-produced by Abraham and Kolawole Ajeyemi, Iyalode brings a rich, fictional tale to life against a backdrop of tradition, resistance, and female agency.
At its heart is Asabi Onile, a strong warrior queen whose journey through betrayal and redemption challenges the patriarchal norms of the fictional village of Kulende. Abraham plays the lead role, anchoring a cast that includes veteran stars Bukky Wright, Kehinde Bankole, Ibrahim Chatta, Peju Ogunmola, and Aisha Lawal.
The film opened to a thunderous reception, grossing N103.7 million in its first weekend, a rare feat for a homegrown production. In its second week, it pulled in another N61.6 million, pushing its cumulative earnings past the N200 million mark.
Now nearing N300 million, Iyalode is on course to outpace recent Nollywood hits such as Lakatabu, The Beast of Two Worlds, and Iyabo Ojo’s epic blockbuster, all of which settled in the N200 million to N250 million range.
In a statement at the film’s premiere, Abraham revealed that the project cost over N1 billion to produce, a staggering figure for Nollywood, where production budgets are typically a fraction of that amount. She praised her distribution partner, FilmOne Entertainment, for its support in taking the film to a national audience.
(Nairametrics)
