Agbara Nla: The Return Earns ₦71M in One Day, 33 Years After Mike Bamiloye's Original and Four Years After His Sons First Asked to Remake It

Agbara Nla: The Return earned ₦71 million from 12,134 ticket sales in a single day of preview screenings, Nairametrics reports, ahead of its nationwide release on 2nd October. The film is a remake of Mike Bamiloye's 1993 Mount Zion production, and it was directed by his sons, Damilola and Joshua.

What Nile Entertainment Says the Numbers Mean

Distributor Nile Entertainment describes the result as the biggest single-day preview gross in West Africa, the biggest first-day gross for a Nollywood title and the biggest opening for a faith-based West African film, according to Nairametrics. Lagos accounted for 50.8 percent of revenue, followed by Oyo at 13.2 percent and Abuja at 10.7 percent, and the five South-West states together made up about 76.7 percent. Over the same period, Star Lomo earned ₦45.8 million and Avengers: Endgame Encore ₦44.2 million. Nile's head of theatrical distribution, Thelma Udeze, said: "The response to Agbara Nla: The Return shows the strength of the connection audiences can have with stories that speak to their faith, culture and lived experiences," The Guardian Nigeria reports. A release in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada is planned, with details to come.

Source: Nile Entertainment on Instagram

Why the Brothers Waited

Damilola Bamiloye says the idea came about four years ago. "Joshua and I approached my dad with the idea of revisiting some of the old stories, particularly Agbara Nla," he said, QED reports. Their father declined, telling them it was not yet time. The brothers kept the idea alive, and when the producer, Chris Odeh, encouraged them to go back, Mike Bamiloye said: "Yes, go ahead and do it." The shoot took 20 to 21 days, and Mike Bamiloye plays Isawuru again, now at his real age and without makeup to age him.

Damilola and Joshua Bamiloye

The Film That Almost Never Existed

The original has its own backstory. Mike Bamiloye told The Guardian Nigeria that the first attempt in 1987 was lost: "When the film shoot was completed, the cameraman disappeared with the tapes. All efforts to locate him proved abortive. So the vision was rested and it died." The project stayed shelved for about six years until 1993, when it was revived at Badeku Village in Ibadan, The Guardian Nigeria reported in June. An English version, The Ultimate Power, followed in 1994.

What the Directors Say

Damilola and Joshua Bamiloye said the response to the new film was deeply meaningful to them, and that their responsibility was to honour the heart of the original, per The Guardian Nigeria. The result also lands in a strong week for cinema crowds: PINCHED has covered the Black Market crowd that set a Guinness World Record for a Nollywood premiere, and Agbara Nla is another sign of audiences turning out in numbers for Nigerian-made films.

What to Watch Next

The first test is whether the opening-day numbers carry through the first full weekend, and whether the planned UK, US and Canada release finds the same audience. The second is how the film plays beyond the South-West, which supplied most of its opening revenue.

This article is a box office report, and PINCHED has not reviewed the film.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Did Agbara Nla: The Return Make?

It earned ₦71 million from 12,134 ticket sales in a single day of preview screenings, according to Nairametrics.

Who Directed Agbara Nla: The Return?

Damilola and Joshua Bamiloye, the sons of Mike Bamiloye, who made the 1993 original.

When Was the Original Agbara Nla Made?

The original was released in 1993, after a first attempt in 1987 was lost when the cameraman disappeared with the tapes.

Who Plays Isawuru in the Remake?

Mike Bamiloye reprises the role, now at his real age without makeup.

Will Agbara Nla: The Return Be Released Abroad?

Yes. Nile Entertainment says a release in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada is planned, with details to be announced.