Nollywood actress Wumi Toriola Reflects On Disappointments Before ‘Queen Lateefah’ Success

• The film became one of the highest-grossing Nigerian films of 2024, earning N350 million at the box office.

• Toriola shared her journey to creating ‘Queen Lateefah’ with The Nation, highlighting challenges such as disappointments and delays.

Wumi Toriola, a renowned Nigerian actress and filmmaker, has candidly discussed the challenges she encountered prior to the success of her film, ‘Queen Lateefah.’

This film emerged as one of the highest-grossing Nigerian films of 2024, amassing N350 million at the box office.

In an interview with The Nation, Toriola disclosed that the path to creating ‘Queen Lateefah’ was fraught with difficulties, including setbacks and delays before she could finally realize the project.

“I would have shot ‘Queen Lateefah’ four years ago, but it didn’t happen. I had hitchhiked with my story, and I wasn’t completely satisfied, so I kept rewriting it. I faced disappointments, but what I’ve learned is that whenever you come out, just come out well. The place of preparation was helpful for me,” she shared.

In spite of these hurdles, the actress is now reveling in the film’s remarkable success, recognizing that the prolonged wait and careful planning ultimately bore fruit.

Looking forward to 2025, Toriola hinted at ambitious projects and significant collaborations on the horizon.

“We are expecting something huge—more collaborations, but in a big way,” she revealed.

With ‘Queen Lateefah’ establishing a high standard, Toriola also acknowledged the pressure to exceed her previous achievements.

“It makes me feel great and at the same time gives me a lot of responsibility, because one will want to get better. Beating that record is a lot of responsibility,” she stated.