The Yoruba-language film Ori: The Rebirth grossed N97.8 million during its opening weekend, making it one of the most successful debuts for a locally produced movie this year.
Produced and directed by veteran Nollywood actor and filmmaker Muyiwa Ademola, alongside Adekola Tijani and Tope Adebayo Salami, the film officially opened in cinemas on May 1, 2025.
It garnered N19.5 million on its first day alone.
Over the weekend spanning May 2 to May 4, box office reports show it sold tickets worth N78.3 million, bringing its total to just under N100 million.
The movie, a reimagining of Ademola’s 2004 award-winning film Ori (which means “Fate”), unseated the film Sinners from its Sunday lead for the first time since that film’s release.
Some context
On Sunday alone, Ori: The Rebirth grossed N39.3 million compared to Sinners’ N33.7 million. However, Sinners retained its position as the highest-grossing film for the overall weekend.
Ademola, known for his roles and contributions to Yoruba-language cinema, has publicly stated that he invested over N400 million in producing Ori: The Rebirth. In interviews, he described the film as a labor of love and expressed confidence in its storytelling and cultural resonance. “I believe people will connect with the movie,” he said, urging public support to help the film reach profitability.
About the film
Ori: The Rebirth explores themes of destiny, spirituality, and sacrifice. It tells the mystical story of Bisade, whose sudden death is orchestrated by a malevolent cult led by Yeye Fernandez. As the narrative unfolds, Temidun, a central character, is revealed to be the prophesied savior of a man marked for ritual sacrifice. The film draws on Yoruba cosmology and features a heavy symbolic undertone around fate and consciousness.
- Shot primarily in the Yoruba language, the film is both a spiritual sequel and a thematic update to the original Ori, which won Best Indigenous Film at the inaugural Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2005. That success helped cement Ademola’s status as a pioneer in Yoruba cinema.
- Born in Abeokuta in 1971, Ademola began his film career in the early 1990s after being mentored by Charles Olumo and S.I. Ola. He has since become a central figure in Nigeria’s indigenous-language film sector, credited with directing and producing dozens of films over the past three decades. In recent years, he appeared in major Yoruba blockbusters, including Jagun Jagun by Femi Adebayo.
Ori: The Rebirth now stands as a strong contender for a box office run that could rival the biggest local films of the year.
