Nollywood director, James Abinibi, has told Nigerian filmmakers not to take their movies to cinemas this year.

He said the reason is because no producer has recovered their money from cinema releases in 2025.

He made this known in an Instagram post on Friday while addressing the tough financial realities facing the movie industry.

He said, “Don’t take your movies to the cinemas. No Nollywood producer has broken even from their cinema releases this year. None. Not a single one…”

Abinibi explained that big-budget films now cost at least N200 million to produce, and for any filmmaker to make that money back, the movie must rake in N700 to N900 million, which he claimed is nearly impossible in the current economic situation.

He also said producers are struggling because top actors still charge high fees, while the cost of equipment keeps rising with the dollar.

Streaming platforms, which used to serve as a lifeline for filmmakers, have also slowed down on buying new titles.

He added, “Prominent actors aren’t reducing their fees, top crew members still charge a premium, and equipment suppliers are constantly adjusting to the ever-changing dollar rate…”

He added that some producers are pretending everything is fine while privately dealing with debt and failure.

Abinibi also criticised the heavy reliance on skits, dances, and social media noise for promotion, saying they don’t always bring results.

He said, “Nollywood movies are releasing in the cinemas every weekend, alongside plenty of promotional dance and skit content. And sincerely, I don’t think those dance and skit videos have much impact…”

He blamed the poor turnout at the cinemas on audience distrust, saying many Nigerians prefer to spend money on international films than take chances on local ones.