Toyin Abraham Breaks Silence On Kunle Afolayan’s Controversial Cinema Remark: "Industry Beef"
- Kunle Afolayan’s remark about making less than N10 million from a N1 billion gross was labelled as "sarcastic" by Toyin Abraham’s camp
- After public backlash, Afolayan reportedly initiated a phone call to Abraham to clarify that his comments were not meant to disregard her immense labour
- The clarification surfaced amid an ongoing rift between Afolayan and Funke Akindele, who reportedly "yelled" at the filmmaker
Fresh details have emerged over the much-talked-about comments made by celebrated filmmaker Kunle Afolayan on Nollywood box office profits and how actress-producer Toyin Abraham responded behind the scenes.
The conversation began at the premiere of Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre, where Afolayan spoke about the financial realities of filmmaking, even for movies that cross the coveted N1 billion mark at the cinemas.
Source: Instagram
The filmmaker had stated:
“There’s no competition. I don’t want two billion naira in cinema, or even one billion naira, if I won’t make ten million naira from it.”
The comment quickly took on a life of its own online, with critics interpreting it as dismissive of the labour
Toyin Abraham, one of Nollywood’s highest-grossing filmmakers, was expected to publicly challenge Afolayan’s remarks. Instead, she chose a quieter path.
In a statement released on Monday, February 2 and reported by The Cable, her manager, Samuel Olatunji, revealed that Afolayan personally reached out to Abraham via phone to explain the context of his comments.
During the conversation, the actress reportedly shared her concerns about how the remarks could be perceived, especially by filmmakers still struggling to break even.
“During that conversation, she expressed her concerns, particularly about how the comments could be interpreted as disregarding the efforts of others,” the statement noted.
According to Olatunji, the issue was addressed maturely, and both parties moved on without drama.
Addressing one of the biggest talking points, Abraham’s camp clarified that Afolayan’s mention of making less than N10 million from a billion-naira film was never meant to be taken literally.
The statement noted:
“For the avoidance of doubt, Mr Afolayan’s reference to ten million naira was clearly sarcastic. No producer earns ten million naira from a one billion naira or two billion naira box office performance.”
The clarification also dismissed claims that Abraham stayed silent because she once questioned the authenticity of box office figures.
“This narrative is completely untrue,” Olatunji said, stressing that Abraham has access to certified and verifiable box office data through industry stakeholders.
Currently, only Toyin Abraham and Funke Akindele have achieved the N1 billion box office milestone in Nollywood.
Abraham’s clarification comes amid an ongoing public disagreement between Afolayan and Akindele, with the filmmaker recently describing modern film promotion as exhausting and unsustainable.
Source: Instagram
FG praises Toyin Abraham following historic feat
Legit.ng reported that the Federal Government reacted to Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham’s recent box office success.
Toyin’s movie, Oversabi Aunty, made history after hitting ₦1 billion at the box office, a big milestone in Nollywood.
Following the achievement, the federal government publicly congratulated and recognised the actress for her hard work and impact on the movie industry
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
