Encomium
In its first weekend in Nigerian cinemas, Half of a Yellow Sun topped the box office chart. ENCOMIUM Weekly findings around town from attendance at cinemas in Nigeria and others revealed that the blockburster would have made over N15 million as at Sunday, August 3, 2014.
The movie hit the cinemas in Lagos, Abuja, Calabar and Port Harcourt, on Friday, August 1, 2014, and reports from the centres indicated a number one spot for the highly anticipated movie. The producers maintained the movie sold out in cinemas in Ibadan, Abuja, Surulere and Lekki.
A source told ENCOMIUM Weekly that the movie made an estimate of N5 million on Friday when it started showing in cinemas. About N6 million was realised from ticket sales on Saturday, the second day and on Sunday, the film made close to N5 million.
A huge crowd was seen at the cinemas at Ikeja City Mall on Sunday, August 3, 2014, on queue jostling for the movie ticket. Some of them whom ENCOMIUM Weekly spoke to said the movie attracted a large crowd because of the controversy that surrounded the delay in it’s official release to the cinemas.
“I guess the film would do well in cinemas, I actually wanted to see how the movie would fare considering the fact that it was not released at the normal time and all the controversy that surrounded it. It’s a movie that we really need to watch,” a movie watcher told us.
Mainframe Production boss, Tunde Kelani, who was among the first batch of those who watched the movie on Friday, August 1, 2014, wrote on his timeline that Half of a Yellow is a brilliant film, after all. “I wanted to get the first ticket but settled for Number 7. If you love Nigeria and your history, you must watch HOAYS now in cinemas.”
“I saw it on Friday at the FilmHouse, Surulere, Lagos. It is a great movie, I am glad most of the scenes were shot in Calabar,” Ada Odobo who has already watched the movie disclosed.
Another person waiting to get a ticket for the movie who identified herself as Blessing said, “I am anxious to go in and see for myself what the film is all about. I guess it will be a thriller.”
According to Big Sam Media, the movie Guardian of the Galaxy topped the box office chart before Friday, August 1, 2014, when Half Of A Yellow Sun took over the number one spot. The movie which has been released in cinemas in the UK, US, New Zealand and Australia has recorded appreciable sales from cinema release, inflight viewing rights, sales and online viewing rights.
The producers recently revealed they have made over N280 million so far from worldwide release. They are said to be looking at making over N100 million from Nigeria.
A whooping N1.7 billion was pumped into the making of the movie which was shot in Calabar and London. The film parades stars like BAFTA award winner, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anika Rose, Genevieve Nnaji, Onyeka Onwenu and others.
– FOLUSO SAMUEL
