Nollywood Movie ‘Agbara Nla: The Return’ Breaks Preview Record With Over ₦71m Sales
Nollywood faith-based movie Agbara Nla: The Return has made a remarkable impact at the box office, recording more than ₦71 million from its single-day preview screenings ahead of its nationwide cinema release.
According to figures from Nigerian Box Office, the movie generated about ₦70 million from 12,134 admissions during its preview run between September 25 and October 1. Distributor Nile Entertainment later announced that the earnings had crossed the ₦71 million mark.
The performance has been described as the biggest single-day preview gross recorded in West Africa, while the admission figure was also reported as the highest first-day admissions figure recorded in 2026. The ₦70 million figure was likewise reported as the biggest first-day gross for a Nollywood title during the period.
Nile Entertainment celebrated the milestone, describing the film as having achieved the biggest first-day gross for a Nollywood title, the biggest opening for a faith-based film and the biggest single-day preview performance in West Africa.
The distributor said the film had become the number-one movie of the week, adding that its performance demonstrated the strength of a story that has remained popular with audiences for decades.
The film is now showing in cinemas nationwide, giving audiences the opportunity to see the new production 33 years after the original Agbara Nla was released.
Agbara Nla: The Return is a modern reimagining of the 1993 Christian classic created by filmmaker Mike Bamiloye. The original was later released in English as The Ultimate Power in 1994.
The new movie revisits the story of Muwonleru, a village controlled by the powerful herbalist Isawuru. Two believers, Olaboye and Olatomi, leave their city lives to take the Christian message into the community, setting up a confrontation between their faith and Isawuru’s spiritual influence.
Mike Bamiloye reprises his role as Isawuru in the new production, while Damilola Mike-Bamiloye and Joshua Mike-Bamiloye directed the film.
The cast also includes Aanu Kolade Abiodun, Remilekun Mosiko, Philip Olubakin, Gloria Mike-Bamiloye and David Kola Okeowo.
The strong preview performance is particularly notable because the film is built around an established Nigerian faith-based story rather than an entirely new franchise.
The production brings together audiences who remember the original and a younger generation discovering the story through the cinema experience.
The Guardian reported that the film attracted more than 12,100 admissions during its preview run, while Nile Entertainment said the response showed the connection audiences still have with stories rooted in faith, culture and lived experiences.
Beyond Nigeria, the film is also scheduled for theatrical releases in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, with details of those international releases expected to be announced by the distributor.
The early performance of Agbara Nla: The Return adds to the growing commercial presence of faith-based productions within Nigeria’s cinema industry.
Its preview figure of more than ₦71 million gives the film a strong starting point as it enters its full theatrical run and places the long-running Agbara Nla story firmly back in the spotlight.
