Akshay Kumar’s Welcome to the Jungle is taking the increasingly popular paid preview route, with the comedy entertainer now set to screen early on June 25, one day ahead of its full theatrical release. For a star-packed franchise title carrying sizeable box office expectations, the move sharpens the film’s final pre-release strategy at a crucial moment.
The paid preview model has steadily gained traction in Hindi cinema this year, and Welcome to the Jungle is the latest major title to adopt it. The film also becomes the second Akshay Kumar release of the year to use the format after Bhooth Bangla.
Paid Previews Locked Ahead Of Release
Box Office Worldwide has exclusively learned that Welcome to the Jungle will hold paid previews on June 25, before opening worldwide on June 26, 2026. Advance booking for the film is scheduled to begin on Monday, adding fresh momentum to its theatrical rollout.
Another major update is that the film’s runtime has been locked at 2 hours and 28 minutes, indicating that the release plan is now firmly in place. The early-show strategy is often used to generate word-of-mouth before opening day, while also giving a film extra room to boost its day-one business if demand is strong.
The film arrives with substantial trade attention already around it. Since paid previews are now commonly folded into opening-day reporting in the Hindi market, the June 25 shows could play a significant role in how the film’s first-day numbers are ultimately viewed.
A Big Ensemble Returns The Welcome Franchise To The Big Screen
Directed by Ahmed Khan and produced by Firoz Nadiadwala, Welcome to the Jungle is the third installment in the Welcome franchise. The cast is one of the film’s biggest draws, led by Akshay Kumar alongside Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Jackie Shroff, Urvashi Rautela, Paresh Rawal, Johny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda and Daler Mehendi.
Mounted as a broad commercial comedy caper, the film continues the franchise’s ensemble-driven, chaos-heavy brand of entertainment. With a large cast and familiar franchise recall, it stands among Bollywood’s bigger theatrical bets this year.
Akshay Kumar’s Recent And Upcoming Work
Akshay Kumar has remained busy across franchises and mainstream commercial films in the past few years. His notable 2023 releases included OMG 2, Selfiee and Mission Raniganj, with OMG 2 emerging as the strongest theatrical performer of the three. In 2025, he featured in Housefull 5 and Jolly LLB 3, while also making a cameo appearance in Kannappa.
In 2026, Kumar’s Bhooth Bangla released in theatres on April 17. Directed by Priyadarshan, the horror-comedy paired him with Paresh Rawal, Tabu and Wamiqa Gabbi. As of the current date, Welcome to the Jungle is his confirmed upcoming theatrical release, keeping him firmly in the franchise zone during this phase of his career.
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