Nollywood’s 2026 release calendar reflects a steady broadening of themes, genres, and distribution strategies. Across the year, filmmakers are exploring personal relationships, historical memory, faith, survival, and creative ambition, with projects set for both cinema and streaming platforms. While some titles follow familiar dramatic territory, others suggest a growing interest in genre storytelling and alternative formats.

This article highlights a selection of Nollywood films expected in 2026, outlining what they are about, when they are likely to be released, and where audiences may be able to watch them.

For viewers trying to keep track of upcoming releases or simply understand how Nollywood continues to evolve, these are films worth noting.

Let’s get into it.

1. Alive Till Dawn

Genre: Thriller/Horror
Release Date: January 30, 2026
Release Channel: Cinemas

Nollywood doesn’t do zombies often, which is exactly why Alive Till Dawn feels dangerous in the best way. The film throws together a police officer, ex-convicts, and a stranded young girl as a mysterious outbreak turns the night into a fight for survival. Beyond the horror, the real tension lies in trust, morality, and what desperation brings out in people.

The film features Uzor Arukwe together with a cast drawn largely from mainstream Nollywood thrillers, signalling a deliberate move toward genre experimentation rather than star-led spectacle. Expect debates about whether Nollywood is finally cracking genre cinema and whether this one goes too far.

Would you survive till dawn? Or be the first to panic?

2. Everything Is New Again

Genre: Romantic Drama
Release Date: January 30, 2026
Release Channel: Cinemas

This film leans into something Nollywood understands deeply: timing. Everything Is New Again is about love, second chances, and the quiet question of whether people truly change or just repeat patterns with better intentions. It’s soft, emotional, and very likely to split audiences between hopeless romantics and hardened realists.

Produced by Inkblot Productions and distributed by FilmOne, the film continues the studio’s interest in relationship-driven storytelling that reflects modern Nigerian life.

Is love ever really new… or just familiar pain with fresh hope?

3. To Adaego With Love

Genre: Period Romance / Drama
Release Date: February 6, 2026
Release Channel: Cinemas

Set in post-Civil War Nigeria, To Adaego With Love tells a forbidden love story between a Northern soldier and an Eastern schoolteacher. But this isn’t just romance; it’s about memory, healing, and the weight of history on personal choices.

Directed by Nwamaka Chikezie, the film features Onyeka Onwenu in one of her final screen appearances, alongside a younger cast navigating ethnic tension and emotional restraint. This is the kind of movie people will leave the cinema quiet after, then argue passionately about on the way home.

4. Love & New Notes

Genre: Romance / Dramedy
Release Date: February 13, 2026
Release Channel: Cinemas

Dropping in February, Love & New Notes focuses on modern Lagos relationships: ambition, vulnerability, and the emotional messiness in between.

Directed by Kayode Kasum and starring Timini Egbuson alongside a young ensemble cast, the film continues Nollywood’s recent trend of youth-centred romantic dramas that blur the line between love story and social commentary.

Team forgiveness or team self-respect? The UPrators’ Corner will decide.

5. Mothers of Chibok

Genre: Documentary / Social Drama
Release Date: February 27, 2026
Release Channel: Cinemas & Special Screenings

Mothers of Chibok shifts focus from headlines to lived experience, centring the women whose lives were permanently altered by the 2014 abductions.

Directed by Kachi Benson, the documentary adopts a restrained, observational approach, allowing the mothers’ voices to lead the narrative rather than political framing. Expect silence in the cinema and heavy discussions afterwards.

6. Onobiren

Genre: Inspirational/Drama
Release Date: March 6, 2026
Release Channel: Cinemas

Onobiren leans into spirituality, purpose, and destiny; themes that resonate strongly with Nigerian audiences. While full details remain limited, the film is expected to feature a cast familiar to fans of inspirational Nollywood cinema, with a narrative centred around endurance and belief under pressure.

7. Evi

Genre: Musical / Drama
Release Date: March 27, 2026
Release Channel: Cinemas

A musical in Nollywood is already rare; Evi raises the stakes by focusing on a female Afrobeats artist navigating betrayal and power imbalance within the music industry.

Produced by Judith Audu and directed by Uyoyou Adia, the film blends original music with character-driven drama, placing it at the intersection of performance, ambition, and systemic critique.

Is the industry ready to look itself in the mirror?

8. A Spark in the Dark

Genre: Drama
Release Date: April 20, 2026
Release Channel: Cinemas

Details remain limited, but A Spark in the Dark is positioned as an emotionally grounded drama focused on resilience and internal conflict. Early listings suggest a character-centric narrative rather than a plot-driven spectacle, making it a film that audiences may interpret very differently depending on their personal experiences.

9. The Other Side of the Bridge

Genre: Sports Drama
Release Date: April 17, 2026
Release Channel: Cinemas

Using boxing as its narrative framework, The Other Side of the Bridge examines class, masculinity, and opportunity in Lagos. Produced by Demi Banwo under Lord Tanner Studios, the film follows fighters from contrasting backgrounds, raising questions about what success actually costs and who pays the price.

10. SuperNowa

Genre: Coming-of-Age / Drama
Release Date: January 9, 2026
Release Channel: Prime Video

SuperNowa quietly stands out. A coming-of-age story with emotional weight, it explores identity, growth, and self-discovery in a way that feels intimate rather than loud. Its arrival on Prime Video reflects Nollywood’s increasing comfort with streaming-first distribution, particularly for introspective stories that benefit from private, at-home viewing.

Why These Films Matter

What makes this 2026 slate exciting isn’t just star power or budgets; it’s range. Nollywood is stretching:

• Into genre cinema (Alive Till Dawn)
• Into national memory (Mothers of Chibok)
• Into music and industry critique (Evi)
• Into streaming-first storytelling (SuperNowa)

And that means more opinions, more debates, and more reasons to stay plugged into what’s coming next.

Together, these films reflect not just changing tastes, but changing production choices, who stories are made for, how they’re released, and the kinds of conversations filmmakers appear willing to invite.

Watch Smarter With UPreviews

With so many releases coming fast, it’s easy to miss the ones that truly fit your taste.

On UPreviews, you can:

• Track upcoming Nollywood releases
• Get Viewer’s Guides with themes, intensity levels, and content notes
• Discover what’s worth your time, before you buy a ticket or hit play
• Join conversations that go beyond “it was nice”

Sign up on UPreviews and stay ahead of Nollywood’s biggest year yet.