We often hear of two big Bollywood films clashing but rarely does this happen for Hollywood flicks. But tomorrow will be an exception as ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Barbie’ are all set to arrive in cinemas across the world. In India, such clashes result in fights over screen sharing. That won’t happen with these two films as both are distributed by Warner Bros in India. Also, it’s fascinating to see social media going crazy over this clash and coming up with funny posts, all in good humour.
‘Oppenheimer’ is directed by Christopher Nolan. It is the story of the man who designed the first atomic bomb. The trailer is intriguing and there’s a lot of hype over seeing this film in cinemas, especially in IMAX screens. In India, which has limited IMAX theatres, the ticket rates have been hiked considerably. PVR Lower Parel, for instance, is selling its recliner seats for a record Rs. 2450. Despite such rates, the shows are sold out. But the bookings in non-IMAX screens are decent at best. Yet, an opening of Rs. 10 Crore plus is expected which is tremendous for a film of this kind, which is not the typical commercial fare. In fact, the opening can be as high as Rs. 14-15 Crore. Whether it sustains and whether it manages to cross the Rs. 100 Crore mark remains to be seen.
‘Barbie’, meanwhile, is based on the iconic doll of the same name. The trailer is colourful and it looks like a complete family entertainer. Despite the feminine feel, even the male moviegoers are looking forward to seeing the film. Not much was expected from it in India but its advances have surprised everyone. The film can open in the range of Rs. 5 Crore or higher.
Lastly, ‘Bawaal’ will release directly on Amazon Prime Video. It stars Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor in the lead and is directed by Nitesh Tiwari of ‘Dangal’ (2016) and ‘Chhichhore’ (2019) fame. It is a story of a dysfunctional couple in modern times and there’s a World War II backdrop. The film was supposed to release in cinemas and there was a lot of hype around it. But once it decided to skip a theatrical release, a lot of eyebrows were raised. Meanwhile, the trailer has met with mixed reactions, making many wonder if there’s anything wrong with the film due to which it didn’t make it on the big screen. Nevertheless, the curiosity to see ‘Bawaal’ is very much there and it will get huge viewership.
