October decline in cinema earnings expected
The current low in October cinema grossing follows a challenging September, which closed at just over N900 million in grosses. This result made September the second‑lowest monthly total of 2025, highlighting a clear cooling of the market after a strong summer run.
While the N900 million figure was better than the early projections of N750 million to N800 million, it clearly underscores the seasonality and volatility of Nigeria’s cinema industry. Industry experts had widely expected the month to underperform given its release schedule, which lacked the massive crossover blockbusters that usually drive high ticket sales.
However, two imported movies were instrumental in lifting the results above their expectations: Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which grossed N129 million within two weeks, and The Conjuring: Last Rites, which debuted with N31 million.
The Nigerian movie Gingerr also boosted September’s earnings as it debuted with an impressive N82.8 million in its opening within three days. These movies delivered robust returns and attracted a larger audience.
The N900 million haul in September represents a noticeable decline from the peak performance of the preceding months.
Cinema earnings trend since July 2025
In August, cinemas recorded N1.1 billion on 192,314 admissions, and July saw a strong N1.23 billion with 208,435 tickets sold. These summer months were buoyed by sustained momentum from major releases like Fantastic Four and Superman, which consistently topped the charts for multiple weeks.
In contrast, September’s lineup leaned heavily on a mix of horror, anime, and smaller‑scale domestic films. The absence of a massive, broad‑appeal blockbuster that had fueled earlier box office highs made the N900 million finish a relative “win” for exhibitors, preventing a steeper drop.
September’s box office performance was shaped by three key weekends. The first influential weekend was from September 5th–7th, which saw the release of The Conjuring: Last Rites. The horror film opened with N31.6 million, effectively setting the tone for the genre’s strong run throughout the month.
Even in its seventh week, Fantastic Four managed a notable N18.9 million, bringing its cumulative gross to N451.6 million. Local hit Abanisete also contributed, adding N15.7 million to push its lifetime earnings to N126.9 million.
The second crucial period was the weekend of September 12th–14th, when the anime feature Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle made a massive entry. It stormed the box office with N82.4 million, marking the single‑biggest opening of the month.
The Conjuring held strong in its second frame with N23.5 million, while Abanisete continued its steady momentum, adding N9.5 million and crossing the significant N140 million milestone.
Towards the end of the month, specifically the weekend of September 26th–28th, local comedy Gingerrr opened with N78.9 million, securing the month’s strongest domestic debut. One Battle After Another followed with N15.4 million.
Meanwhile, The Conjuring and Demon Slayer showed strong “legs,” adding N15.1 million and N13.3 million respectively in their later weeks.
By the close of the month, Demon Slayer had accumulated a total of N154.6 million, while The Conjuring reached N138.9 million. Abanisete wrapped up September with N141.9 million across its five weeks on screen.
Fantastic Four maintained its position as the year’s top‑grossing import, reaching N468.3 million by its eighth week.
With September failing to meet the N1 billion benchmark, industry attention is now fully focused on October and the immediate premieres. Distributors are banking on these upcoming international releases to re‑establish the consistent billion‑naira run that defined the successful May‑to‑August window.
Read also: Nigerian Box Office records ₦1.29bn revenue in April 2025 driven by ‘Sinners’ and ‘Ori: The Rebirth’