Things could well start looking up for theatrical releases this season. On the Friday gone by, Bad Newz brought some good news for the industry as it not only opened well but then also sustained well in days to follow. However what one looks forward to is a really good opening that sees a large number of houseful shows and works at a pan-India level. Yes, this happened with Kalki 2898 AD, but then it has been a month since then and one needs at least two such movies every month for the momentum to be regained.
Well, though it would be quite a task for this week’s release Deadpool & Wolverine to see that kind of opening and cross 20 crores mark, at the very least, one can expect that the first-day numbers would top the 15 crores mark.
Even if that turns out to be the case, it would be quite good because in 2024, so far, only a couple of Hindi releases have gone past the 20 crores mark – Fighter and Kalki 2898 AD (Hindi). On the other hand there is one other Hindi film that has crossed 15 crores milestone, Shaitaan (15.21 crores). Now the prime goal for Deadpool & Wolverine would be to go past the Ajay Devgn starrer at least and be amongst the Top-3 openers of the year.
So far, more than 1.25 lakh tickets have already been sold for the film, and there are two full days remaining before the advance booking can be further intensified. Indications are that eventually, 1.65-1.75 lakh tickets would be sold before the first show kick starts, and that would set the film up for a solid opening. 15 crores on the day of release is a practical number for now, and anything over and above that would be really good. With good reports already coming in for the film, this one is set to be a winner in India.