Mount Zion’s Agbara Nla: The Return has crossed N307 million at the Nigerian box office, making it the fourth highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2026 so far. The faith-based drama, distributed by Nile, opened in cinemas on October 1.
The film’s opening weekend of about N170 million set several records: the biggest October opening, the biggest debut for a faith-based film, the biggest non-December opening weekend and the third biggest Nollywood opening weekend of all time. It also recorded the biggest single-day preview gross for a Nigerian film before its official release.
A legacy franchise returns
The original Agbara Nla, produced by Mount Zion Faith Ministries, is a classic of Nigerian Christian cinema, remembered by many viewers from VHS and later DVD and YouTube screenings. The Return revisits that story for a new generation, and church groups have organised block bookings and group viewings, which helped drive the strong start.
The film is part of a broader trend in 2026 of well-known Nigerian screen properties returning to cinemas with sequels and reboots.
Key points
- Box office: more than N307 million.
- Ranking: fourth highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2026.
- Opening weekend: about N170 million, a record for October.
- Distribution: Nile; regional release in Liberia from October 9.
Watch the trailer
Background
Mount Zion Faith Ministries, founded by Mike Bamiloye, has produced Christian drama films for decades, and many of its titles are now available on its own streaming platform. The commercial success of The Return in cinemas shows how a loyal community audience can turn into strong ticket sales. Box office trackers will now watch whether the film can climb further up the 2026 rankings before the busy December season, when many major Nollywood titles traditionally open.
With the film now showing in select Liberian cinemas as well, distributors are hoping for further growth in the weeks ahead. Its performance is likely to encourage more investment in faith-based films, a genre with a loyal audience across West Africa.
Photo: Unsplash (illustrative).
Our whole church fellowship went on opening weekend. The cinema was full.