FilmOne Entertainment and Part Two Media, in partnership with Amplify Africa, released “Battle on Buka Street” in the United States on December 30, with a limited release in 11 Regal Cinemas. The film, which tells the story of a young woman fighting to protect her community from the threat of gentrification, was a hit with audiences, selling out in all 11 locations and grossing over $61,000 over the four-day New Year’s weekend.
“We are thrilled with the success of ‘Battle on Buka Street’ in the US,” said Funke Akindele, the film’s star, director, and producer. “This film is a deeply personal project for me, and it’s gratifying to see it connect with audiences in this way.”
Due to the film’s strong performance, Regal Cinemas has added 11 additional locations for the film’s second week of release.
“We always knew that ‘Battle on Buka Street’ had the potential to do well in the US, especially after its blockbuster success in Nigeria,” said Craig Shurn of Part Two Media. “But we never expected these sorts of figures for the first Nollywood release here. It’s a great start, and it’s exciting to see what the future holds for African content in the US market.”
“With the strong showing of ‘Battle on Buka Street,’ Nigerian film has come full circle and is gaining more attention from international audiences,” added Moses Babatope and Kene Okwuosa of FilmOne Entertainment. “As the first indigenous Nollywood release in the US, this film is performing beyond expectation and is a promising start to what we can expect in global releases of films from Nigeria in the coming months and years.”
“After five years of contributing to the growth of African communities in the US as well as the growth of its cultures, we are excited to see the beginning of another movement to drive economic increase to the continent through Nollywood similar to the now popular Afrobeats movement,” said Dami Kujembola and Timi Adeyeba, Co-founders of Amplify Africa. “We are proud to have led the marketing efforts for ‘Battle on Buka Street’ and look forward to continuing to support the growth of African content in the US market.”
