Nigerian faith-based film Agbara Nla: The Return has grossed more than ₦170.6 million in its first four days in cinemas, according to its distributor, Nile Entertainment. The company announced the milestone on Monday, describing the film’s opening performance as a major achievement for Nigeria’s faith-based film industry.
According to Nile Entertainment, the film’s opening went beyond its box-office earnings, with the distributor describing the release as an opportunity for audiences to experience a revival of faith, power and transformation on the big screen. The distributor said the film’s opening weekend established three major milestones: the biggest non-December Nollywood opening weekend of all time, the biggest October opening weekend of all time, and the biggest opening weekend ever recorded for a faith-based film.
Agbara Nla: The Return had already built significant momentum before its official release, generating roughly ₦71 million from single-day preview screenings. According to Nigerian Box Office, a Nigerian box-office analysis platform, the film earned about ₦70 million from 12,134 admissions during its preview period between September 25 and October 1. The performance was reported as the biggest single-day preview gross recorded in West Africa.
The 12,134 admissions were also described as the biggest first-day admissions figure recorded in 2026. The approximately ₦70 million gross was reported as the biggest first-day gross ever for a Nollywood title, as well as the biggest single-day gross recorded in October so far. The preview performance therefore gave the film a strong foundation before its official four-day theatrical opening.
The film faced competition during its opening weekend from titles including Black Market, while Star Lomo and Avengers: Endgame – Encore continued their own theatrical runs alongside Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Despite the crowded market, Agbara Nla: The Return’s ₦170.6 million opening placed it behind only Everybody Loves Jenifa and Behind the Scene on the list of the biggest Nollywood opening weekends supplied by the distributor. It landed ahead of A Tribe Called Judah and Love and New Notes on the same list.
The film follows the village of Muwonleru, which is trapped under the influence of a powerful herbalist named Isawuru. When two believers, Olaboye and Olatomi, leave their city lives behind to bring the Gospel to the village, their mission sets off a clash between faith and spiritual power. Along the way, other characters, including Bose and Kola, are forced to confront darkness within themselves.
Agbara Nla: The Return is a modern reimagining of the original 1993 film Agbara Nla, which was later released in English as The Ultimate Power. The original was created, written and directed by Christian filmmaker Mike Bamiloye under his Mount Zion Film Productions banner. It became one of the most influential Christian films in Nigerian history, developing a devoted following across Nigeria and beyond during the early years of the country’s home-video film era.
The new film arrives 33 years after the original’s release, bringing the story to a new generation while retaining its connection to the earlier film. The long gap between the two films also makes the new release a continuation of a story that has remained part of Nigeria’s faith-based filmmaking tradition for decades.
The remake is directed by Damilola Mike-Bamiloye and Joshua Mike-Bamiloye, the sons of Mike Bamiloye, with Chris Odeh producing. Mike Bamiloye reprises his original role as Isawuru, while Philip Olubakin plays Olaboye and Damilola Mike-Bamiloye plays Kola. Aanu Kolade Abiodun plays Bose, with Gloria Bamiloye, Remilekun Mosiko and David Kola Okeowo also part of the cast.
The production is a collaboration between Mount Zion Film Productions, Circuits and Sozo Films, with Nile Entertainment handling the film’s theatrical distribution in Nigeria. The involvement of Mount Zion Film Productions also connects the new film directly to the production company behind the original Agbara Nla, maintaining an important link between the two films.
The strong opening comes at a significant point for the Nigerian faith-based film sector, with Agbara Nla: The Return setting multiple records according to its distributor and the box-office figures cited in the article. Its performance also places the film among the leading Nollywood releases of the year based on its opening weekend.
Beyond its Nigerian theatrical run, Agbara Nla: The Return is also set for an international theatrical release in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. The overseas release will extend the film’s reach to Nigeria’s large diaspora audience and take the modern reimagining of the long-running story into additional markets.
With a record-setting opening behind it and an international theatrical release still ahead, Agbara Nla: The Return is shaping up to be one of the standout Nollywood releases of 2026. The film’s early box-office performance gives the 33-year-old story a new theatrical chapter, while its planned international release could further expand its reach beyond Nigeria.
