Nollywood historical epic King Kosoko: The Battle for Lagos is closing in on the ₦60 million mark at the Nigerian box office, adding to a 2026 cinema market that has recorded strong performances from several local productions.
The film, distributed by FilmOne Entertainment and produced by Teqsus Studios, had grossed ₦47 million as of September 15, 2026, according to figures announced by FilmOne. The distributor said the film remained in cinemas nationwide.
King Kosoko opened nationwide on August 28, 2026, after its Lagos premiere on August 23, 2026. Directed by Adebayo Tijani, the Yoruba-language historical drama stars Femi Adebayo as Oba Kosoko and Odunlade Adekola as Oba Akintoye.
The film tells the story of the 19th-century struggle for control of Lagos, focusing on the rivalry between Oba Kosoko and Oba Akintoye and the political events surrounding the Lagos throne.
Its performance comes as Nollywood continues to record sizeable cinema revenues in 2026. ShockNG, in its H1 2026 Nigerian Box Office Intelligence Series published after the first half of the year, reported that the top 10 Nollywood films generated ₦2.26 billion between January 1, 2026 and July 5, 2026, based on Comscore Movies data.
The report showed that romantic comedies and contemporary dramas accounted for several of the year’s biggest local cinema releases during the period. Call of My Life led with ₦719.84 million, followed by Love and New Notes with ₦400.47 million and The Return of Arinzo with ₦351.50 million.
Other major performers in the H1 period included Ajosepo: The Gathering with ₦164.98 million, Onobiren with ₦138.34 million, Efunroye with ₦114.89 million and The Creek with ₦108.15 million.
The performance of Efunroye, a historical drama about 19th-century merchant Madam Efunroye Tinubu, also showed the commercial potential of culturally focused period films. ShockNG’s H1 data placed the film above the ₦100 million mark during the period under review.
Meanwhile, Call of My Life has continued to extend its lead beyond the H1 figures. TheWILL reported on September 8, 2026, that the romantic comedy had reached ₦893 million at the Nigerian box office following its May 15 release.
For King Kosoko, the ₦47 million recorded by September 15, 2026 represents its performance less than three weeks after its nationwide release. With the film still showing in cinemas, its final gross will determine how far the historical epic can go against the year’s bigger romantic comedies and dramas.
The film’s run also adds another test for historical Nollywood productions seeking to turn stories of Nigerian royalty, culture and pre-colonial politics into commercially successful cinema releases.
