Everyone braced for a slow September at the cinemas. The schedule looked light, projections were capped at around ₦750M–₦800M, and it seemed like a guaranteed dip. But then came two unexpected heroes: Demon Slayer and The Conjuring.
Anime fans turned out strong, filling seats for Demon Slayer in a way no one quite predicted. At the same time, horror lovers made The Conjuring a sleeper hit, giving September a much-needed lift. Together, they pushed the month past ₦900M, beating expectations by a wide margin.
Now, let’s not sugarcoat it, September was still the second weakest month of 2025. But in a year that has mostly seen billion-naira months back-to-back, a “weaker” month still pulling off an upset feels like a win.
The big question now is October. With stronger titles lined up and the holiday energy starting to build, the industry will be looking to see if October can bring back the streak of ₦1B+ months that had been running for five months straight before September’s stumble.
One thing’s clear, Nigerian audiences are showing up for the right stories, whether it’s anime spectacle or supernatural scares. October might just be another record-setter.