A sharp exhibition tussle is playing out just ahead of the June 26 release window, and Welcome To The Jungle is currently the film shaping the conversation inside cinema chains. While theatres firm up their final show allocations for the week, the Akshay Kumar led comedy has emerged as the stronger pull for exhibitors, slowing the rollout of advance bookings for Supergirl across several major properties.
Supergirl Faces A Booking Bottleneck Across Key Multiplex Chains
The imbalance had become visible by 7:00 pm on June 24, when Supergirl bookings were still missing from several leading national circuits even as Welcome To The Jungle continued to enjoy clear exhibitor preference. Box Office Worldwide has exclusively learned that the delay is tied to theatres prioritising the Hindi comic entertainer, which has generated notable enthusiasm in the exhibition sector.
A trade source said, “There’s tremendous excitement in the exhibition sector for Welcome To The Jungle. Moreover, the distributor of the comic caper has also requested extensive promotion. As a result, theatres have decided to adhere to it.”
That exhibitor leaning has directly fed into the current screen allocation deadlock. According to the same source, Warner Bros has maintained that its ask for Supergirl is limited and commercially reasonable, but the studio is still facing resistance in securing the prime slots it wants.
“Consequently, Supergirl is unable to get the desired number of shows. Warner Bros is clear that they are not asking for excessive showcasing. They have asked for 2 prime shows in 4-screen multiplexes and 3 prime shows in multiplexes with more than 4 screens. Yet, they are facing difficulty in securing showcasing. The negotiations are on and a solution is expected to be reached by Wednesday night or Thursday morning.”
The current on-ground picture reflects that standoff. At the time of writing, Supergirl had opened bookings only in select properties such as Devgn CineX in The Walk in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with the same chain also starting advance sales in Delhi and Ahmedabad. A few smaller chains had moved earlier in other cities, but Pune had still not opened a single cinema hall for bookings. PVR Inox and Cinepolis had also not started bookings in any property across the North, Eastern and Western belts.
The source added, “Warner feels its demand is reasonable and that it is not asking for too many shows. They were among the few studios that released their films during the Covid period when Hindi filmmakers were shying away from theatrical releases. Hence, they feel they shouldn’t be given step-motherly treatment now that things have improved. The studio is hopeful that the issue will be resolved amicably and that Supergirl gets a fair showcasing.”
Why Welcome To The Jungle Has Theatres Leaning In
What makes this battle especially telling is that it is no longer just another Friday release scrambling for space. Welcome To The Jungle, directed by Ahmed Khan and produced by Firoz Nadiadwala, arrives with the weight of a known comedy franchise and an ensemble led by Akshay Kumar, factors that have clearly strengthened its standing with exhibitors. That confidence, backed by a visible push for wide promotion, has made the film the preferred play in the current booking cycle.
For the June 26 corridor, that preference has turned screen allocation into the week’s defining story. Prime show slots, visibility, and opening day momentum are now being shaped by how strongly theatres are backing Welcome To The Jungle over its rival. By the time the final showcasing pattern locks in, the exhibitor vote will have already set the tone for the weekend box office battle.
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