December is still a few months away, but the Nigerian cinema calendar is already beginning to take shape. For filmmakers and audiences alike, the final month of the year has become more than a festive period. It is a major window for big-screen releases, when families, friends and returning Nigerians often make cinema outings part of their holiday plans.
That makes the weeks leading into Christmas an important period for Nollywood filmmakers, particularly those with a strong history of drawing audiences to cinemas. This year, three major releases are already standing out on the calendar, each arriving with a different story, a different appeal and a reason for audiences to pay attention.
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives — December 4
The December cinema run will begin with The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, which is scheduled to open in cinemas on December 4, 2026.
For many Nigerians who know Lola Shoneyin’s acclaimed novel, the anticipation goes beyond seeing another Nollywood film. The project brings a well-known Nigerian literary work to the big screen more than 15 years after the book was first published.
The film is an adaptation of Shoneyin’s 2010 novel and is directed by Daniel Oriahi, with Shoneyin among the writers and producers involved in the project. EbonyLife Films is behind the adaptation, working with major industry partners including Genesis Group, Nile Media Entertainment Group and Silverbird.
The story centres on Baba Segi, a wealthy patriarch whose large household consists of four wives and seven children. His seemingly settled family life begins to change after Bolanle, a young university graduate, becomes his fourth wife.
Unlike the other women in the household, Bolanle struggles to conceive. Her inability to have a child soon becomes a source of suspicion and resentment, gradually exposing secrets that have remained hidden within the family.
The film brings together a large cast of familiar Nollywood faces, with Odunlade Adekola playing Baba Segi and Omowunmi Dada as Bolanle. Iyabo Ojo, Mercy Aigbe and Bimbo Ademoye play the other wives, while the wider cast includes Bisola Aiyeola, Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Shaffy Bello, Bimbo Manuel, Nkechi Blessing Sunday, Daniel Etim Effiong, Nancy Isime, Mike Ezuruonye and others.
The project has also been building attention beyond Nigeria. The campaign has also featured the use of a private jet for promotional purposes, with Iyabo Ojo and Mercy Aigbe being co-pilots.
Before its December theatrical release, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives is set for international festival exposure, including a selection at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. The official film campaign has also announced a nationwide cinema rollout across more than 100 screens, including EbonyLife, Silverbird, Genesis and Viva/Nile cinemas.
That gives the film an interesting journey before Nigerian audiences finally see it: from a celebrated novel published in 2010, to a long-awaited screen adaptation, to international festival exposure, and eventually to cinemas across the country.
The Four: No One Fights Alone — December 11
One week after Baba Segi’s Wives, Funke Akindele will bring The Four: No One Fights Alone to cinemas.
The film is scheduled for a global cinema release on December 11 and is produced by Funke Akindele Network, with FilmOne Entertainment handling distribution. Akindele wrote, directed and produced the project.
The story follows Esosa and three women whose determination to secure the future of a young man they love puts their friendship, courage and loyalty to the test.
The film explores friendship, motherhood, resilience, sacrifice and unity, while also using music, fashion, language and tradition to reflect Nigerian culture.
A major part of the anticipation is the cast. Akindele leads an ensemble that includes Bisola Aiyeola, Chioma Akpotha, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Timini Egbuson, Lateef Adedimeji, Ali Nuhu, Uzor Arukwe, Wunmi Toriola, Ronke Oshodi Oke and Antar Laniyan. Singer Waje and Afrobeats artiste Shoday are also part of the project.
On September 3, Akindele released the first-look images from the film, giving audiences their first major visual glimpse at the production ahead of its December release. The campaign has also highlighted Adire, music and other Nigerian cultural elements used in the film.
But the biggest reason The Four carries so much expectation is its director’s recent record.
Akindele has turned December into one of the most important periods in her cinema career. A Tribe Called Judah, released in December 2023, became the first Nigerian film to cross ₦1 billion at the box office. The following year, Everybody Loves Jenifa went further, grossing about ₦1.88 billion.
Then came Behind the Scenes in December 2025, which pushed her box-office record even higher, with reports putting its final gross at about ₦2.76 billion.
That history gives The Four another layer of anticipation. It is not simply Funke Akindele’s next movie. It is her latest attempt to continue a remarkable December run that has repeatedly raised the bar for Nigerian cinema.
Bestie — December 16
Five days after The Four arrives, Toyin Abraham will make her own return to the December cinema window with Bestie. Abraham announced the film on September 4, confirming that it will be released nationwide on December 16, 2026.
At the moment, Bestie is the most mysterious of the three projects. While Abraham has revealed the title and release date, details about the film’s storyline and full cast have not yet been made public. That means audiences know when the film is coming, but there is still plenty they do not know about what they will see.
The timing, however, is significant. Bestie follows Abraham’s previous cinema release, Oversabi Aunty, which crossed the ₦1 billion mark at the Nigerian box office and earned the filmmaker recognition from the National Film and Video Censors Board.
Abraham has also made December a familiar release period in recent years. Her previous festive-season cinema titles include Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper in 2022, Malaika in 2023 and Alakada: Bad and Boujee in 2024.
So although much of Bestie remains under wraps, Abraham is not entering the December period without a track record. She is returning with a new project after a billion-naira success, during one of the busiest periods on the Nigerian cinema calendar.
Five Days Apart: Funke Akindele And Toyin Abraham’s December Releases
This writeup will be incomplete without mentioning that the release dates of the movies make the December calendar even more interesting.
The Four arrives on December 11, Bestie follows on December 16. That is only five days apart.
The close dates have already revived conversations around the long-running comparisons between Akindele and Abraham. Fans have started debating the two releases online, while some netizens have even accused Abraham of copying Akindele’s concept. Others have pushed back against the claims. Even actress Bolaji Ogunmola was vehemently criticised for hyping Toyin Abraham’s Bestie movie on X.
But the films do not need a personal rivalry to make their release dates significant. Both filmmakers have established themselves as major commercial forces in Nigerian cinema. Both have released successful films during the festive period. And now, their latest projects are entering cinemas within the same five-day window.
That means audiences could find themselves choosing between two filmmakers who have already proved that they can attract large crowds.
For Akindele, the question is whether The Four can extend her extraordinary December run.
For Abraham, it is whether Bestie can build on the momentum of Oversabi Aunty. The answers will come when audiences begin filling cinema halls in December.
Why December Matters To Nollywood
The excitement around these films is also tied to the importance of the month itself. December has become one of the strongest periods for Nigerian cinema, helped by the festive season, increased social activity and Nigerians returning home for Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The previous December showed just how valuable the period can be. Nigeria’s 2025 box office recorded about ₦2.95 billion in revenue during December, making it the strongest month of that year. The period also recorded 487,606 admissions.
For filmmakers, that makes December an attractive time to release a major production. But it also means competition is high.
A film has to compete for audiences, cinema screens, attention and entertainment spending at a time when Nigerians have many other ways to spend their money during the festive season.
That is why the December 2026 calendar is worth watching.
Three Films, Three Different Reasons To Anticipate Them
By the time December arrives, these three films will be coming into cinemas with very different strengths.
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives has the weight of a celebrated literary story, a major ensemble cast and international festival exposure behind it.
The Four: No One Fights Alone has Funke Akindele’s impressive December box-office record and another star-studded cast working in its favour.
Bestie, meanwhile, has Toyin Abraham’s recent billion-naira success behind it while keeping much of its story hidden for now.
Their release dates also create a clear sequence. First comes Baba Segi’s Wives on December 4. A week later, The Four arrives on December 11. Then, just five days after that, Bestie opens on December 16.
That gives Nigerian cinema audiences plenty to look forward to as the festive season approaches. More importantly, it sets up a December in which the success of these films will not only depend on the names attached to them, but on which stories audiences decide are worth leaving home to watch on the big screen.
For Nollywood, December 2026 is already looking like a month worth paying attention to.
