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James Abinibi has advised producers and directors against releasing movies in cinemas, citing massive financial losses across the industry.
In a recent Instagram post, the movie director argued that despite the hype and box office records being promoted, “no Nollywood producer has broken even from cinema releases in 2025”.
“Don’t take your movies to the cinemas. No Nollywood producer has broken even from their cinema releases this year. None. Not a single one. Forget all the ‘first movie to…’ or ‘biggest…’ records you’ve been sold,” he wrote.
“Everyone that has a movie out in the cinemas since January this year is bleeding—and it’s not stopping anytime soon. Whatever reason this hasn’t become an alarming issue is what actually concerns me.
“Not to be the bearer of bad news, but I speak genuinely from a place of pure love and passion for our film industry—at a time when it’s convenient to keep quiet and murmur in private. Some of us, well, me—I no sabi pretend. Plus, I still can’t dance to promote any movie.”
Abinibi explained that producing a blockbuster film now costs at least N200 million, and for such a movie to break even, it must generate N700–900 million — a near-impossible feat given Nigeria’s economic climate.
The filmmaker disclosed that while filmmaking remains lucrative, rising production costs, high actor fees, and fluctuating exchange rates have made profitability elusive.
He added that even streaming platforms, which are a reliable backup, have slowed down acquisitions.
“Let me make my point clearer. To break even with your cinema outing, first consider that the average blockbuster costs nothing less than 200 million to make. Usually, it’s much more than that, depending on the scale of the project,” he wrote.
“Meaning, you need to do around 700 to 900 million by the end of your cinema run to recoup your initial capital. Ask any of your close producer friends to show you their books—if they dare. Don’t get me wrong, our business is still a very lucrative one—even without the streaming platforms.
“But the cost of making these movies has gone up drastically because of our current economic realities. Even YouTube producers have had to step up their game, and that’s with no guarantee of recouping their investment.
“Prominent actors aren’t reducing their fees, top crew members still charge a premium, and equipment suppliers are constantly adjusting to the ever-changing dollar rate. Nollywood movies are releasing in the cinemas every weekend, alongside plenty of promotional dance and skit content.
“And sincerely, I don’t think those dance and skit videos have much impact. I might be wrong, but I still believe that a spectacular film will always thrive at the box office with proper media promotion.”
Abinibi also pointed out audience distrust and ineffective marketing methods in Nollywood as factors contributing towards the decline of cinema movies.
He argued that Nigerians would rather go to the cinemas to watch international films over home released movies because they do not have faith in the producers.
“The bigger issue is—most of our audience doesn’t have much faith in our movies. They’ll gladly skip your direct cinema marketing and go see SINNER jeje. And we can’t blame them. Consumers want value for their money,” he added.
“That’s why we need to tell really great stories and improve our production values beyond the local championship we currently run. It used to be that producers would do their cinema runs to get some ego boost—clearly not making any profit—and then bank on streaming platforms to make back their investment and hopefully some profit.
“Not that the platforms have abandoned us—they’ve just taken a break. Not a breakup. They’ll be back once they figure out how to operate efficiently in our very ‘special’ industry. And I hope that’s soon. Because… in the words of Olawale Oloforo: ‘Hunger dey!’
“And in case you’re wondering why, despite all the financial risks involved, producers are still investing heavily in production—some are, even as you read this, on location filming with no guarantee of what would happen.
“I myself am about to kickstart pre-production on another major project, even though I haven’t yet released the one I produced and directed last year. The answer is simple: filmmaking is a genuine source of joy and fulfillment for many of us. As I’ve said before, filmmaking is a spiritual thing. You have to be in it to truly understand that.
“For now, everyone that can’t wait is headed to the cinemas. And yes, we need more cinema screens—that’s how we can even begin to recoup our investments more quickly. But even more screens don’t guarantee audiences will show up for us if they’re not impressed by the bulk of our supposed blockbusters.
“We really have to do better. We need to tell great stories. The audience, too, needs to do better by supporting good Nollywood films. We’ve had a few great ones recently, but they didn’t get much mainstream hype. Another thing is: if it’s not from a popular actor or producer, it usually doesn’t get the buzz it deserves.
“Word of mouth can only go as far as the number of eyes that got to see it. I’m tired of typing. We need help in Nollywood. And a quick one too—before debts run people into depression.”
Funke Akindele was in January named the highest-grossing lead actress of 2024, thanks to her movie ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’.
‘Everybody Loves Jenifa‘ also became the highest-grossing movie of all time in West Africa, grossing an impressive N1.6 billion just one month after its cinema release.
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