Let’s be honest: a lot has changed in the way people watch movies. Between streaming, bootlegs, and everyone claiming they’ll “catch it later,” you’d think opening weekend doesn’t mean much anymore.
But here’s the truth – it matters a lot!
In the film scene, the first three days of release can make or break a title. That’s not exaggeration, it’s just how the business works. Opening weekend tells audiences whether a film is worth seeing. It tells cinemas whether to keep it on schedule or swap it out by week two. It even tells the media and investors if the film is “working” or not.
You’ve probably seen it happen: one film gets all the buzz on Friday night, sells out early screenings, floods your timeline with hot takes… and suddenly it’s the only movie people are talking about. That’s not by chance, but by building momentum. And momentum starts with a smart, well-timed launch.
When a film has a big opening weekend, everything around it expands. It gets better showtimes, more visibility, more press and even audiences who weren’t sure about it start paying attention – because we’re wired to want to be in the room where the excitement is happening.
On the flip side, if a movie drops quietly and no one shows up? It’s hard to recover from that. Nigeria’s cinema landscape is fast paced. There’s limited screen real estate, new films every weekend, and a very vocal audience. You don’t get many second chances.
So how do you win the opening weekend?
Firstly, start early; get people talking weeks before your premiere. Tease your visuals, drop your trailer and make it feel like something is coming. If audiences don’t see or hear about your film at least five times before it opens, you’re already behind. That doesn’t mean just posting on Instagram; it means activating your cast, influencers, press partners, and fans. Let the hype build naturally and then press the gas.
Secondly, don’t underestimate the power of timing! A great movie with poor showtimes can underperform simply because it wasn’t scheduled right. Work with the cinema to lock in your peak hours; Friday night, Saturday midday, Sunday after church. That’s when your audience is actually available to show up.
Thirdly, make it feel urgent. One thing that works – especially in Nigeria, is the sense that something is hot right now. Limited screenings, sold-out premieres and the right messaging. Nobody wants to feel like they missed out, and if people think they can wait, they probably will, and this is how you lose momentum.
Some recent box office wins got it right. Everybody Loves Jenifa tapped into nostalgia and community to create a billion-naira cultural moment. Iyalode owned its niche, built anticipation in the Yoruba-speaking audience, with a strong, focused first weekend. Sinners blew past expectations with the right mix of community support, conversations and PR stints.
At the end of the day, the opening weekend is about perception. It’s about being the film people want to be seen watching, and owning the conversation before someone else does.
And yes, films still find their audience in week three – but if it doesn’t turn heads in week one, it might not get the chance.
