Nollywood star Omoni Oboli’s latest film, The Uprising: Wives on Strike, has made a striking debut, earning N28.2 million in its opening weekend at the Nigerian box office.
The film swiftly claimed the top spot as the number one film of the weekend.
This figure reflects the total earnings from its first three days, including a Thursday preview, but excludes an additional N10 million in pre-release voucher sales.
The Uprising, the third installment in the Wives on Strike franchise, faced significant anticipation and skepticism before its release.
The 46-year-old Oboli shared her thoughts on the journey via an Instagram post. Reflecting on the challenges of returning to a successful franchise, she noted, “Franchises don’t always work. People asked, ‘Why are you making a third one?’ or ‘Shouldn’t you bow out while the ovation is loudest?’”
Despite these doubts, Oboli remained confident, stating, “This will be the best yet. It will be a standalone, so you don’t have to have watched the other two. This will be a thriller. Everyone will be proud of this.
“We went back and forth on the script right up until we were about to shoot. Nodash thoroughly understands storytelling and helped plug all the holes,” she said. The reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with audiences rating the film 10/10 or even higher.
What to know
The Uprising: Wives on Strike was co-produced by Oboli and Tomi Adeoye, and it continues the story first introduced in Wives on Strike (2016) and its sequel Wives on Strike: The Revolution. The earlier films followed a group of market women who take a stand against domestic violence after one of their own is murdered by her husband. This latest chapter in the franchise takes a darker turn, focusing on a mother’s desperate attempt to rescue her kidnapped son, drawing her into a world of violence and danger.
The film brings back an ensemble cast featuring Nollywood heavyweights such as Uche Jombo, Ufuoma McDermott, Chioma Akpotha, and veteran actress Hilda Dokubo. Other notable appearances include Tomiwa Tegbe, Segun Arinze, Kalu Ikeagwu, Julius Agwu, and Okey Bakassi.
Directed by Oboli and written by Cheta Chukwu, The Uprising marks her return to the big screen after a five-year hiatus and commemorates her 10th year in directing. Distributed by Nile Entertainment, the film is expected to make its international debut in Q4 2024, marking another milestone in Oboli’s distinguished career.