Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham rivalry renewed with new movie teasers

Nollywood actresses Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham are set for another box-office clash as their latest films, The Four: No One Fights Alone; and Bestie, are scheduled to hit cinemas five days apart in December.

While Akindele’s The Four: No One Fights Alone is slated for release on December 11, Abraham’s Bestie will follow on December 16.

The release dates have already triggered reactions among fans of the two actresses, with some reviving comparisons between the Nollywood stars.

The latest round of online exchanges began after Abraham unveiled Bestie on Friday. Some fans accused her of copying Akindele’s concept, while others challenged the claim and demanded evidence of what she allegedly copied.

One X user, AjibolaLateefat, wrote, “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 defended Abraham, writing, “People saying she copied Funke Akindele, bring out the Funke Akindele video she copied, Ko kin suyin ni?”

Amid the renewed comparisons, Akindele reportedly reposted a fan’s comment on X which read, “Avoiding people for peace is a form of self care,” describing her as a “pace setter.” She responded to the post with a love emoji.

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The interaction was interpreted by some fans as a subtle response to the renewed comparisons between The Four and Bestie, although Akindele did not directly mention Abraham or the film.

The development has also brought renewed attention to the history of competition between the two actresses.

Abraham has previously spoken about the intense competition between herself and Akindele. In a recent post amid the renewed fan exchanges, she declared, “I am the greatest of all time in the movie industry.”

Reflecting on their earlier rivalry after Akindele’s movie crossed the N1bn mark at the box office, Abraham acknowledged that their competition had sometimes become intense, saying they both “splash dirt and dust” along the way. She, however, congratulated Akindele and described her as the winner at the time.

The history between the actresses has made the latest release dates particularly interesting to their fans, with social media users already debating which of the two films will perform better at the box office.

Akindele’s The Four: No One Fights Alone features a star-studded cast, including Richard Mofe-Damijo, Bisola Aiyeola, Chioma Akpotha, Timini Egbuson and Lateef Adedimeji.

Abraham, meanwhile, has been promoting Bestie ahead of its December 16 release, announcing to her fans, “BESTIE in Cinemas from 16th of December.”