Nollywood stars, Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham are heading for another potential box-office showdown, with their latest movies scheduled to arrive in cinemas just five days apart in December.
Akindele’s The Four: No One Fights Alone is set to premiere on December 11, while Abraham’s Bestie will follow on December 16.
The close release dates have sparked fresh discussions among fans, with social media users once again comparing the careers and box-office performances of the two actresses.
The latest wave of debate followed Abraham’s unveiling of Bestie on Friday. While some fans alleged that the project bore similarities to Akindele’s work, others rejected the accusation and called on those making the claims to provide evidence.
One X user, AjibolaLateefat, wrote, “Omg that other producer copies Funke Akindele every time, like you just know she turned on her post notification for Funke Akindele’s post.”
Another user came to Abraham’s defence, writing, “People saying she copied Funke Akindele, bring out the Funke Akindele video she copied, Ko kin suyin ni?”
The controversy intensified after Akindele reportedly reposted a fan’s comment on X that described avoiding people for peace as a form of self-care and referred to her as a “pace setter.” Akindele responded to the post with a love emoji.
Although she did not directly mention Abraham or Bestie, some fans interpreted the interaction as an indirect reaction to the renewed comparisons surrounding the two films.
The development has also revived memories of the long-running competitive narrative surrounding the actresses, who have previously found themselves at the centre of comparisons over their movies and box-office performances.
Abraham has openly addressed the rivalry in the past.
In a recent post during the latest round of fan exchanges, she boldly declared, “I am the greatest of all time in the movie industry.”
She had also previously reflected on the intense competition between herself and Akindele after one of Akindele’s films surpassed the N1bn mark at the box office.
While congratulating Akindele on the achievement, Abraham acknowledged that their competition had at times become intense, noting that they both “splash dirt and dust” along the way and describing Akindele as the winner at the time.
With both actresses now preparing to release major projects within the same week, attention has shifted to the potential box-office battle between The Four: No One Fights Alone and Bestie.
Akindele’s movie boasts an impressive cast that includes Richard Mofe-Damijo, Bisola Aiyeola, Chioma Akpotha, Timini Egbuson and Lateef Adedimeji.
Abraham has also stepped up promotion for Bestie, recently announcing its cinema release to her fans with the message, “BESTIE in Cinemas from 16th of December.”
The December releases are expected to generate significant interest among Nollywood audiences, with fans already debating which of the two films could emerge as the bigger box-office success.
