The festive season of Christmas is usually a lucrative time for the film industry, as audiences flock to the theatres to enjoy the latest releases. However, this year, the Christmas week will also see a fierce competition among three big-budget films from different industries: Dunki, Salaar, and now Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom.
The industry was already gearing up for a mega clash between Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Dunki and Prabhas-starrer Salaar on December 22. But now it’s been confirmed that not just two but Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom is also a part of this clash.
Dunki is a Hindi social drama film directed by Rajkumar Hirani and starring Shah Rukh Khan. The film marks first ever collaboration between Khan and Hirani and is expected to appeal to both classes and masses.
Salaar is a Telugu action thriller film directed by Prashanth Neel and starring Prabhas and Shruti Haasan. The film is a pan-Indian project that will also release in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. Salaar is touted to be a stylish and violent film that will showcase Prabhas in a never-seen-before avatar.
However, Prabhas is coming from a series of flops whereas King Khan on the other hand is coming from back to back All Time Blockbusters. The announcement shocked everyone since it’s a gutsy move from Hombale films. Hombale sources however claimed to show confidence in their product and distribution of Anil Thadani.
Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom is a Hollywood superhero film directed by James Wan and starring Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, and Patrick Wilson. The film is a sequel to the 2018 blockbuster Aquaman and will explore the underwater world of Atlantis and its hidden secrets.
Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom To Release On Dec 21 Same As US
A source told Bollywood, “There were murmurs that Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom will bow out and would either release a week before or a week after December 22 in India. However, that’s not happening. Releasing on December 15 would mean India being the first country to release the superhero film in the world. It can lead to piracy before the film opens in the crucial market in North America. If Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom is scheduled to hit screens on December 29, it can disappoint fans. Hence, a decision was taken to arrive on December 21, notwithstanding the recent developments.”
According to sources, Warner Bros, the studio behind Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom, has refused to budge from its release date despite requests from the makers of Dunki and Salaar. Warner Bros believes that Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom has enough potential to attract viewers across the world and does not see Dunki and Salaar as a threat.
The source added, “Similarly, Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom is a big franchise and its lead actor Jason Momoa is popular. The first part, Aquaman (2018), did well, collecting Rs. 54.60 crores. The sequel can also score due to the five-day long weekend in Week 1 and a four-day long weekend in Week 2. Moreover, it might also get preference in IMAX and 4DX screens.”
Interestingly, it’s also a case of history repeating since in 2018, Aquaman came around a week before Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Zero clashed with KGF – Chapter 1.
All three films are scheduled to release on December 21, 2023, which means they will have to share the screens and the audience. While Dunki and Salaar are banking on the star power and fan following of their lead actors, Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom is relying on the global appeal and brand value of the DC franchise.
However, trade analysts have predicted that the three-way clash will affect the box office collections of all the films and result in a loss of revenue for the producers. They have suggested that the films should avoid releasing on the same day and opt for different dates to maximize their profits.
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