Nollywood’s box office queen, Funke Akindele, has sparked mixed reactions following a video where she addressed the leak of her previous project, A Tribe Called Judah, which surfaced on Telegram while still in cinemas.
Last night, Funke hosted her cast, crew, and cinema members to a special preview for her highly anticipated blockbuster, Everybody Loves Jenifa. Set for release on December 13, the film has already generated buzz among fans of the beloved Jenifa’s Diary series.
While discussing the mishap surrounding A Tribe Called Judah, Funke acknowledged the success of the film but urged cinema security to be more vigilant in preventing phone recordings and mobile usage during screenings. She emphasized that her team needed to ensure such incidents do not recur.
Despite the leak, Funke expressed gratitude for the film’s success and voiced her hopes for Everybody Loves Jenifa to surpass its predecessor at the box office. She also shared her views on avoiding the pressure to drag audiences into watching a particular movie. Funke advised against forced promotions, stating that people already know which films they want to see.
This statement sparked a range of reactions. Some fans supported her, including user olayiwolafolake, who wrote, “Before leaving my house… I know what I wanted to watch. No dragging. Lafunky is a very intelligent woman… Lafunky, you will break ATCJ records effortlessly by God’s grace.”
However, others, like abike.2020, felt her words contradicted past promotional efforts: “This stopping canvassing sounds like hypocrisy. All of you do it. You were giving shoes and clothes out for free last year so that people could watch your film.”
User mofoyeh echoed similar sentiments, pointing out,
You are all selling market. Should we say you stop all this content and constant advertisement on Sm? How I go use my money to produce something and I no go canvass to make it sell?”
Despite the mixed responses, Funke’s statement on A Tribe Called Judah resonated with many, with some fans rallying behind her message of self-empowerment and growth.
Earlier this week, Funke Akindele opened up about the challenges she faced before rising to stardom. Reflecting on her journey, she shared a video from the set of A Tribe Called Judah, her highest-grossing film, which addresses the struggles of single mothers raising children.
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