Nollywood stars Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham are heading for another highly anticipated box-office contest after their latest films were scheduled for theatrical release just five days apart in December.
Akindele’s The Four: No One Fights Alone will arrive in cinemas on December 11, 2026, while Abraham’s Bestie is scheduled for December 16, 2026. Both release dates have been announced publicly by the filmmakers and their teams.
The timing has quickly drawn attention from Nollywood fans because of the long-running comparisons between the two actresses, who have established themselves as major forces in Nigeria’s commercial cinema.
The latest debate intensified after Abraham announced Bestie on September 4. Some social media users accused her of copying an idea associated with Akindele, while other users rejected the allegation and demanded evidence to support the claim. There is currently no verified evidence establishing that Abraham copied Akindele’s film concept.
One X user, AjibolaLateefat, criticised Abraham, writing:
“Omg that other producer copies Funke Akindele every time, like you just know she turned on her post notification for Funke Akindele’s post.”
Another user pushed back against the accusation, asking critics to show what Abraham allegedly copied.
The online debate gained further attention after Akindele interacted with a post on X that read, “Avoiding people for peace is a form of self care.” The post described her as a “pace setter”, and Akindele responded with a love emoji. However, she did not directly mention Abraham or Bestie, meaning interpretations of the interaction as a response to the controversy remain speculation.
The renewed comparisons also come against the backdrop of the actresses’ previous competitive relationship within Nollywood.
Abraham recently reignited discussion about the rivalry when she described herself as “the greatest of all time in the movie industry” while promoting Bestie. In the same post, she announced that the film would arrive in cinemas on December 16.
“I am the greatest of all time in the movie industry, and the greatest movie, Bestie, is coming on the 16th Dec in all cinemas.”
The statement came after Abraham’s recent commercial success with Oversabi Aunty, which crossed the N1 billionmark at the Nigerian box office. The feat was widely reported as a major milestone for the actress and filmmaker.
Akindele, meanwhile, is entering the December season with The Four: No One Fights Alone, a drama produced by Funke Akindele Network and distributed by FilmOne Entertainment.
The film features Akindele alongside Bisola Aiyeola, Chioma Akpotha, Waje, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Timini Egbuson, Lateef Adedimeji, Ali Nuhu, Uzor Arukwe, Ronke Oshodi Oke, Antar Laniyan and Wunmi Toriola, among others.
According to the film’s production information, The Four follows Esosa and three women whose efforts to secure the future of a young man they love put their friendship, courage and loyalty under pressure. The story explores themes including friendship, motherhood, resilience, sacrifice and Nigerian cultural identity.
The film has also begun building momentum ahead of its cinema release, with Akindele recently unveiling first-look images and releasing “Ore Mi,” a soundtrack performed by Akindele, Waje, Bisola Aiyeola and Chioma Akpotha.
For Abraham, Bestie represents her return to the cinema after the strong performance of Oversabi Aunty. Details about the new film’s full storyline and cast were initially limited when she announced the December release, but she has continued promoting the project to her audience.
The five-day gap between the two releases has therefore created an unusual December matchup involving two of Nollywood’s most commercially prominent female filmmakers.
December is traditionally an important period for Nigerian cinema as audiences turn to theatrical entertainment during the Christmas and New Year season. The performance of both films will ultimately depend on factors including audience reception, cinema bookings, word of mouth and the strength of their promotional campaigns.
For now, however, the online conversation has already begun, with fans debating whether The Four or Bestie will emerge as the bigger December attraction.
Neither Akindele nor Abraham has publicly confirmed that the films are being positioned as a direct rivalry, and the claims that one copied the other remain social media allegations rather than established facts.
What is confirmed is that audiences will have both films competing for attention within the same five-day period, with The Four: No One Fights Alone opening on December 11 and Bestie following on December 16, 2026.
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