sigmund Africa in the recent has tried to catch up with fellow continents such as North America, Asia and Europe that are far ahead in the movie industry. Africa has truly made great strides with some of the most popular names in Hollywood Africans. These have gone on to represent our mother continent and won some of the biggest awards at the international stage and they include among others Adewale Akinouye Agdbaje, Djiomn Hounsou, Lupita Nyong’o.
However did you know that these were some of the highest grossing movies of all time to ever be made in Africa?
5. Tears of the Sun
This is an action thriller that was released in March 2003 and was produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment and its set is in the Nigerian jungles.
The main stars in this movie are action star Bruce Willis and the gorgeous Monica Belluci. In this action packed movie released in 2003, Lieutenant A.K Waters (Bruce Willis) is sent with his team in Nigeria to rescue Dr. Lena Kendricks (Monica Belluci) after the Nigerian government is headed for collapse.
However, A.K Waters faces hostility from the US army and insurgents after he sides with Dr. Lena who refuses to leave the country and leave her patients in the hands of insecurity. This is one of the gone days action jungle movies that will keep you hooked wondering who will make it out alive and who won’t.
This movie was made with a budget of 70 million USD and realized 86.5 million USD and it was shot in the jungles of Nigeria and Cameroon.
4. The Last King of Scotland
At least you have all heard of this movie’s title because of the affiliation it has to our country. The Last King of Scotland’s title was derived from the fact that former Ugandan president Idi Amin Dada used many titles to refer to himself such as CBE( Conqueror to the British Empire), VC,DC, Al-Hajji,Dr among others and it was rumored he referred himself to as the last king of Scotland.
Casting multi award winning star Forest Whitaker and James Mccavoy the plot is about Nicholas Garigan a young Scottish doctor who on his visit to Uganda becomes friends with then President Idi Amin but this friendship takes a turn for the worst.
It was shot in Uganda with an approximate budget of 6 million USD and accumulated 48.4 million USD in the box office. It won numerous awards and this movie also earned Forest Whitaker an Academy Award for best actor.
3. The gods must be crazy
My oh my who has never watched this drama, you should head to the cinema or library near you and look for it. It is one of the movies that will get you bursting in fits of laughter and you could watch it time and time again.
Set in the Kalahari desert somewhere in Botswana the tribal people live in a remote village and everything is well until a Coca-cola bottle falls from the sky. This brings about commotion in the village and it is alluded to the wrath of the gods. Their leader Nixau decides to take the bottle out of the village to the gods and this is where the drama unfolds.
Shot in Botswana with a budget of 5 million USD, the movie realized 200 million USD in the box office and it was released in 1980.
2. Blood Diamond
This movie was released in 2006 and features distinguished and Oscar award winner Leonardo DiCaprio starring alongside Djimon Honsou. It is set in civil war torn apart Sierra Leone and it depicts the period this country was ravaged by instability between 1991-2002.
In the movie, DiCaprio an ex-soldier and now a South African mercenary works together with a Mende fisherman Djimon Honsou to discover a rare gem that has the ability to transform their lives.
Blood diamonds simply refers to the sale of diamonds in the country and the money used to fund the war between government and insurgents and Jenifer Connolly stars along too.
It was released by Warner Brothers Pictures on a budget of 100 million USD and garnered 171.7 million USD at the box office. It was shot in Sierra Leone.
1. Black Panther
Yes, the mouth watering and record shattering super hero film was shot in several African countries and if you did not know these countries, you will be surprised to learn some of them.
Black Panther is an action science fictitious movie set in an anonymous African village called Wakanda with high levels of technology. When T’challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) father dies, he has to go back to Wakanda and take over from his father but he faces a rough start to his reign as Erik Killimonger (Michael B. Jordan) a former US Ops soldier claims inheritance to the throne of Wakanda.
T’challa has to fight and restore stability in his kingdom and he does this successfully. This movie casts big names such as Forest Whitaker, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan, Chadwick Boseman, Letitia Wright among others and it was applauded from all corners of the world as it broke record after record.
It was the 2nd highest grossing movie of 2018 and the 9th grossing movie of all time. It won awards such as the Golden Globe awards, Critics Choice awards and Academy Awards. Apart from this movie portraying the potential and might of Africans it was filmed in a number of African countries such as South Africa, Zambia and the pearl of Africa, yes the pearl and there is only one which is Uganda.
This movie is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) superhero film collections and it was made with a budget of 200 million USD and it hit the box office with 1.347 billion USD so you probably know why it tops this list.
