Temple Company tackles FilmOne over recent movie ranking

Temple Company, a leading creative management and production outfit, has challenged FilmOne, an independent entertainment company, over its ranking of the highest-grossing female in a supporting role.

In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, Femi Salawu, head of media relations and public affairs at Temple Company, accused FilmOne of inaccuracies in its curated Nigerian Box Office Yearbook 2024.

Mr Salawu specifically criticised FilmOne’s parameters for determining the ranking, particularly after actress Bisola Aiyeola, the company’s signee, was placed fourth on the top ten list of highest-grossing females in a supporting role.

The highest-grossing females in a supporting role are actresses whose performances in supporting roles in movies generated the most total box office revenue worldwide.

According to FilmOne, supporting actresses appeared in movies that generated over N20 million in box office revenue.

These leading ladies have made box office history!!! 🔥
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From record shattering lead actresses to the attention gripping supporting roles
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As we unveil the Top 10 highest grossing Nollywood lead and supporting actresses of 2024
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We celebrate their talent, grit and star… pic.twitter.com/muuqSIoQGy

— FilmOne Entertainment (@FilmOneng) January 27, 2025

The movies are selected from January 1st to December 31st.

He called for a reassessment of the alleged misrepresentation of Aiyeola, the 2017 first runner-up of BBNaija, and her contributions to the year’s cinematic achievements.

“We respectfully request a review of the ranking methodology and data aggregation process to ensure accuracy and fairness in representing our industry’s achievements. Strategic talent advocacy is part of our service obligation to our clients as strong players in the creative sector.

“We have an unwavering commitment to represent our talents in the marketplace and ensure they are fully motivated to continue giving their best. We demand African excellence from ourselves as we do from others, which is why our position is clear on where we stand”, said Mr Salawu.

Madam Bassey

Additionally, Mr Salawu alleged that FilmOne’s omission of the actress’s role, Madam Bassey, in ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’, caused her to be ranked fourth.

According to him, the 39-year-old’s omission was a significant flaw that could undermine the report’s credibility.

This newspaper’s check confirmed that the singer, songwriter, and TV/Radio personality was part of the ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ cast.

“Despite delivering compelling performances as Supporting Lead in multiple successful productions, including ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’, ‘Ajosepo’, ‘Muri and Ko’, her significant role as Madam Bassey in ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ was notably omitted from her box office aggregation.

“This omission raises important questions about the methodology employed in the ranking system, particularly the classification criteria between lead and supporting lead roles, the consistency in applying these criteria across all evaluated performances, and the transparency of the data aggregation process,’’ Mr Salawu said.

Supporting roles

Mr Salawu further stated that supporting roles were defined based on screen time and narrative impact, with supporting actors making fewer but more impactful appearances than leads.

Moreover, he alleged that FilmOne also omitted Nancy Isime’s role in ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’, which resulted in her being ranked fifth.

“The traditional industry standard defines supporting roles based on screen time and narrative impact, with supporting actors having fewer but impactful appearances than leads. This established metric appears to have been inconsistently applied in the current rankings.

“Furthermore, this discrepancy extends to other performers, including Nancy Isime (ranked fifth), whose similar supporting role in the same production received different classification treatment. While the Nigeria Box Office Rankings represent a valuable opportunity to showcase our industry’s economic impact and market significance, such inconsistencies risk undermining its credibility as an industry benchmark.”

While pledging the organisation’s commitment to driving growth in the creative sector, he reaffirmed the company’s continued support for initiatives that promote transparency and accuracy in the industry’s reporting standards, demonstrating Temple Company’s dedication to upholding and reinforcing industry standards.

He stated that Temple Company had been at the forefront of advancing the creative sector through film and live event production, capacity development, and providing cutting-edge audio-visual recording services at its state-of-the-art Ogidi Studios.

Ranking

In FilmOne’s rankings, Omotunde David and Juliana Olayode secured the top spot for their roles in Everybody Loves Jenifa.

Mercy Aigbe ranked second for her performances in Ajosepo, Thin Line, Beast of Two Worlds, and Farmer’s Bride.

Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori placed third for her roles in Muri and Ko, Queen Lateefah, and Wives on Strike 3: The Uprising.

Furthermore, Fathia Balogun secured the sixth position for her performances in Blacksmith and Beasts of Two Worlds.

Bimbo Akintola ranked seventh for her roles in Beasts of Two Worlds and A Night in 2005.

Adeyela Adebola claimed the eighth spot for her performances in Alakada Bad, Boujee, and America Japa.

Bimbo Ademoye ranked ninth for her roles in Home and Away and Alakada Bad and Boujee.

Chioma Akpota rounded out the top ten with her performances in Wives on Strike 3: The Uprising and A Ghetto Love Story.

FilmOne’s response

Reacting to Temple Company’s allegations in a statement sent to this newspaper on Wednesday, FilmOne reaffirmed its integrity and credibility regarding the published Nigeria Box Office Rankings 2024.

Furthermore, FilmOne stated that the executive producers validated and finalised the selections based on standardised industry metrics.

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“Addressing the recent inquiries around the selection criteria relating to the performance ranking, FilmOne provides the following clarifications: To qualify as a performer in any of these categories, the performers must have appeared in one or more films released in cinemas that grossed at least 20 million Naira within the eligibility period (January 1st to December 31st of the relevant year).

“To qualify as a lead performer, an individual must be the designated lead in the films. The statement added that two male/female supporting performers are selected in each category, with validation from the producers and executive producers of the film”.

The company worked with its data partners—Comscore and the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN)—to ensure the rankings were developed through a structured, data-driven process that evaluated box office performance, screen time, and the overall impact of talent contributions in films.

The statement partly read: “The Yearbook has become a foundational document for the Nigerian film industry, and as such, FilmOne ensures it is produced professionally as it serves as an essential reference point for stakeholders across Nollywood and beyond.

“As the industry continues to evolve, FilmOne Entertainment will remain a beacon of transparency, accuracy, and professionalism as it provides a valuable resource for box office aggregation and analytics at its cognisance. The company encourages all stakeholders to engage with verified data and uphold the standards that foster credibility within the thriving Nigerian film industry.”