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Sinners, the American horror-musical drama directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, has emerged as a runaway success in Nigerian cinemas, grossing N567.4 million after four weeks on screens.
The film, which premiered on April 18, has remained the top-performing title in the country for four consecutive weekends, according to data from the Nigerian Box Office as of May 11.
The film’s strong performance underscores the rising appetite among Nigerian moviegoers for global blockbusters that blend genre innovation with high production values.
Coogler, best known for Black Panther and Creed, directs Sinners with a bold creative departure: a supernatural tale set in the racially fraught Mississippi Delta during the Great Depression, underscored by a haunting musical score.
The movie plot
With a reported $100 million budget, Sinners is one of the most ambitious original productions of the year. It tells the story of twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” and Elias “Stack” Moore, World War I veterans who return to their hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi, with hopes of a fresh start.
Their dream of building a haven for the Black community through a juke joint is soon threatened by malevolent forces, both human and otherworldly.
The film stars Michael B. Jordan in dual lead roles and features a strong supporting cast, including Hailee Steinfeld, Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Mosaku, and Miles Caton. Longtime Coogler collaborator Ludwig Göransson composed the score and served as executive producer.
Despite its themes rooted in American history, Sinners has resonated with Nigerian audiences, likely boosted by Coogler’s existing fan base and Jordan’s enduring appeal across African markets. The film made a strong debut, earning N79 million in its first week in Nigeria, well ahead of typical openings for original horror titles in the region.
Global box office numbers
In the United States and Canada, Sinners has crossed a historic milestone, becoming the highest-grossing original film domestically since Pixar’s Coco in 2017. It has grossed $216 million across North America, with critics praising its genre-bending storytelling, musicality, and social commentary. Its fourth weekend domestic gross of $23 million exceeded the opening of any horror film since Smile 2 in 2024, even after losing IMAX screens to Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts.
In Nigerian cinemas, Thunderbolts has grossed N142 million in its first two weeks, a respectable showing but far behind the sustained dominance of Sinners.
The success of Sinners comes amid a broader upswing for Nigerian cinemas, which have seen increasing box office totals thanks to a mix of strong local films and major international releases. That a musical-horror film set in 1930s America could top charts in Lagos and Abuja for a full month suggests the potential for more genre-expanding films to find audiences across Africa.
For now, Sinners remains not just a commercial triumph but a cultural moment bridging historical memory, genre cinema, and global box office appeal.
