Call of My Life Challenges “Michael” at the Nigerian Box Office

Over the weekend, Nollywood’s latest romantic drama, Call of My Life,made a powerful entrance at the Nigerian box office, pulling in an impressive N78.2 million during its opening weekend. This comes as a big deal because it now surpasses the iconic biopic Michael for the weekend (15th-17th May) 2026.

A few days ago, the Nigerian Box Office via their X social media handle, predicted a huge rise of the Call Of My Life film which had several netizens talking and stirring up conversations especially on the possibility. Currently, Call of My Life sits at 78.2 million surpassing Michael who sits at 60.5 million.

Call of My Life's explosive debut instantly places it among the strongest-performing Nollywood romance titles of the year, reaffirming the enduring popularity of emotionally driven love stories among Nigerian cinema audiences.

Released into a highly competitive weekend crowded with both Hollywood imports and local productions, Call of My Life not only held its own but emerged as the breakout headline of the frame, signaling another major win for homegrown storytelling in Nigerian cinemas.

Directed by acclaimed music video director and filmmaker Dammy Twitch, who also edited the project, the romantic comedy blends heartbreak, humor, emotional vulnerability, and second chances into a commercially appealing crowd-pleaser. The screenplay was written by Uzoamaka Power, who also stars in the film.

This movie also happens to be Dammy Twitch’s directorial debut and now it stands as the highest grossing directorial debut opening weekend of 2026 at the Nigerian box office.

Nigerian Box Office Confirms Strong Debut

The Nigerian box office released the official weekend chart on X, listing the top-performing films across cinemas nationwide during the May 15–17 period.

Leading the chart was Call of My Life with a revenue of N78.2 million, numbers that immediately sparked conversations across the industry about the film’s long-term earning potential.

The performance is particularly notable given the increasingly competitive state of Nigeria’s theatrical market, where audience attention is split across international blockbusters, returning franchise films, and a growing wave of ambitious Nollywood releases.

While Call of My Life dominated headlines, several other films also recorded notable performances over the weekend.

The iconic biopic Michael sits at 60.5 million, closely followed by the Mortal Kombat film 2 at 35.5M, according to the Nigerian Box Office. The Devil Wears Prada continued its surprisingly strong run in Nigerian cinemas, earning an additional N18.4 million and pushing its total earnings to N150.8 million. The film has become one of the strongest-performing legacy Hollywood titles currently screening in the country.

Among the weekend’s fresh releases, The Boy Who Gave opened with N12.3 million, while thriller Obsession debuted with N7.5 million. Action drama Strong also entered the charts with N2.9 million, securing a place among the weekend’s top titles. Then Michael the epic biopic sits on top on weekend 4

A story of heartbreak, healing, and unexpected love

At the center of Call of My Life is Soluchi, portrayed by Uzoamaka Power, a hopeful romantic trying to rebuild her life after a devastating heartbreak.

After being abandoned by her former lover Kalu, played by Nollywood star Zubby Michael, Soluchi struggles to navigate the emotional wreckage left behind by their failed relationship. Just as she begins to lose faith in love, an unexpected work-related phone call introduces her to Eli, portrayed by Andrew Yaw Bunting.

What begins as a simple professional interaction gradually unfolds into an emotional journey filled with chemistry, vulnerability, humor, and renewed hope, setting the stage for a modern romance that resonates with audiences seeking both escapism and emotional authenticity.

The film also boasts a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Beverly Osu, veteran actors Nkem Owoh and Patience Ozokwor, comedian Broda Shaggi, Justin Chukwudi Ugonna, and Ezekiel, credited onscreen as Justin UG.

Behind the scenes, the production assembled a strong creative team aimed at delivering a polished cinematic experience. The project was produced by Blessing Uzzi, with Abisola Yussuf serving as line producer, while award-winning musician and composer Cobhams Asuquo handled the film’s original score and music composition.

Nollywood’s theatrical resurgence continues

The success of Call of My Life arrives at a time when Nigeria’s cinema industry is experiencing one of its strongest recoveries in recent years.

According to Nigerian box office data released on April 5, 2026, the industry recorded its highest first-quarter admissions in six years. Total cinema ticket sales climbed to 752,136 admissions in Q1 2026, marking a significant improvement from the 661,720 admissions recorded during the same period in 2025.

Industry observers say the growth reflects a gradual but steady rebuilding of cinema culture in Nigeria following years of uneven theatrical performance.

Analysts attribute the resurgence to several factors, including stronger Nollywood content pipelines, improved marketing campaigns, increased audience confidence in local productions, and a renewed appetite for the communal cinema experience.

Within this evolving landscape, romance films have emerged as one of Nollywood’s most reliable commercial genres.

Emotionally driven stories centered around love, heartbreak, and redemption continue to attract large audiences, particularly among younger moviegoers and urban cinema audiences.

Although Call of My Life opened strongly, its debut still trails behind some of the genre’s biggest recent blockbusters. Notably, Love and New Notes stunned the industry earlier with a massive N106.5 million opening day performance, setting a new benchmark for romance titles in the market.

Still, industry watchers believe Call of My Life has the momentum, word-of-mouth appeal, and emotional relatability needed to sustain a healthy theatrical run in the coming weeks.

If early audience reactions are anything to go by, the film may be on track to become one of Nollywood’s defining romance hits of 2026.