Showing posts with label Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Show all posts
Multiplexes gear up for a blockbuster second half of FY23 after a muted first half
8:08 AM
Rajesh Naidu (ECONOMIC TIMES; December 8, 2022)
ET Intelligence Group: The business outlook for the multiplex companies has turned favourable over the past month following a slew of box office hits including Kantara, Drishyam 2, Uunchai, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Rating agency ICRA in a recent report has revised its business outlook for the exhibition sector to 'Stable' from 'Negative'.
Several factors have played in favour of the sector. First, the increase in the number of weeks to eight from earlier four weeks for which films should be exhibited at theatres before releasing on streaming platforms was a timely move. The cumulative box office collection of Hindi films released in November 2022 was Rs 293 crore compared with Rs 286 crore in September and Rs 211 crore in October.
The other factor is a recovery in the in-cinema advertising, which has a higher profit margin. Third, increase in prices of food items in tandem with inflation and expansion in the food menu also boosted revenue of multiplexes.
Given these factors, ICRA expects multiplexes to improve profitability. It estimates that multiplex companies will record 16-18% margins in the second half of FY23 compared with 12-13% in the first half. For FY23, margins are expected to be between 14 and 16%.
A strong line-up of releases in the second half of FY23 offers hope. Star studded films such as Cirkus, A Man Called Otto, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Adipurush and Pathan are expected to draw viewers to theatres.
For FY23, ICRA estimates that the multiplex industry's revenues will exceed pre-pandemic revenue in FY20 by 6-8% driven by 10-15% higher average ticket prices and 30-35% growth spend per person.
In the past month, stocks of PVR and Inox Leisure have gained 4.2% and 6.9% compared with 2.7% gain in the benchmark Nifty 50 index. After incurring losses for two consecutive fiscals, analysts estimate that multiplexes will turn profitable in FY23. For FY24, analysts estimate that earnings per share (EPS) of PVR and Inox Leisure may jump two-three times.
From Roja to Satya, we have seen pan India phenomena earlier too-Rana Daggubati
8:01 AM
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; December 2, 2022)
There was a time in his career, when people didn’t know which part of the country he was from or what language he worked in, says Rana Daggubati, adding, “And vice versa – people in the Telugu industry, or the Tamil industry, didn’t know what was happening in Mumbai.”
That’s what makes the shifting dynamics of Indian cinema all the more fascinating to the actor. At a session on film business at IFFI (International Film Festival of India), Rana shared, “It is the first year when we are addressing India as one film industry. What is happening in one industry is no longer alien to others.”
Rana said that OTT has definitely contributed to this shift. “Last week, I was at a party in south Bombay and they spoke to me about every Fahadh Faasil film they have seen in the last two years and this change is kind of incredible. The consumption of content is huge on OTT. You have so much choice on your phone and TV, which is high-quality, 4K, high definition. It gives you an opportunity to engage with those characters for a longer time. If you’re watching a show you’re hooked on those guys for 10 or 12 hours. It’s a different experience.”
‘PEOPLE ARE TAKING TIME OUT TO WATCH RRR & KGF ON THE BIG SCREEN BECAUSE THESE FILMS ARE LIKE EVENTS’
On the flipside, the audience is now more selective about which films to watch on the big screen, Rana said, adding, “When Black Panther: Wakanda Forever came out, everybody just got up, and left their offices, to watch it. People are still taking out time to watch KGF and RRR because those are events. If you sit in an auditorium with a giant screen, then you will only go for emotions or experiences that are extreme. Everything that is communal is more likely to be watched on big screens. Today you want cinema to be more authentic, and true to its genre. Whatever genre the filmmakers are making their stories in, they need to be extreme in narrative.”
Rana added, “What is extreme about Kantara? What it is showing you, you have seen it in photographs, you have experienced it. If you are from Karnataka, then you have heard of it or if you are from a different state then you have seen some other version of it, but to see all that together in a single frame. . . (pauses). Now, while I am talking about Kantara, my body is feeling the same effect it did when I first watched it. During the black and white films era, I remember my granddad used to keep talking about films that were devotional and he’d say that he felt God, and after this experience, I felt okay, maybe that’s what he meant...”
‘PUSHPA, KANTARA BROKE THE MYTH THAT PAN-INDIA RELEASES NEED BIG-BUDGET PUBLICITY’
Responding to a question on what’s next for cinema, Rana said, “We are just one year into it and we are all figuring out which films to make. I think all stories will find their place. But (it will take) three-four years of making, watching, and consuming them.”
Citing the example of Kantara, Rana said, “It didn’t matter what language the film was made in, everyone watched it in the language they preferred and ended up feeling the same. Earlier, we used to say that films should come out in all languages on the same date. But now we are seeing that if a film works in Kannada then 15 days later or a month later, it comes out in Telugu. And it still does the same job. You will see deferred releases and releases that can be localized. Earlier, this trend of pan-India films was (about spending) 10-15 crores in terms of publicity, otherwise, you would not even reach anywhere. But Pushpa and Kantara broke that whole myth. They spent what they had to spend in their region, and the whole country went to watch it. I think these systems (of pan-India mega-budget releases) will keep changing, and everybody will keep finding their type of affordable cinema.”
In response to the question of ‘why it took India so long for India’s cinema to become united’, Rana said, “When I was a kid, Mani Ratnam sir made Roja and Bombay. Those were Tamil films watched across the country. Everyone knows Roja’s music, no matter which part of the country you are from. Ram Gopal Varma made films like Satya, and again, it didn’t matter which language you spoke, you watched it. Time and again, there were films like these, which were telling us – ’Here you go, guys. We’ve done it.”
Addressing the narrative that in this flux, ‘Hindi cinema has somehow lost its way’, despite recent hits like JugJugg Jeeyo, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Brahmastra, Rana said, “Every time there is a certain change in the industry, the guy who is leading the pack is the first to get hit. I think somewhere Hindi cinema has been leading the pack. They are leading the entire industry in terms of creating music, creating value, and enterprise. And I think that they are closest to the change so they are taking a bit longer.”
‘STARDOM LIKE YESTERYEARS MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TODAY, BUT GREATER THINGS ARE POSSIBLE’
About the changing definition of stardom, Rana said, “What is the star concept? The further away you are from a person, the more mystical they are. I don’t think you are going to have the same phenomenon as the yesteryear stars because there was just so little that you got to know about them. The only way to consume stars was through their films. Today, stars are always on social media, and you (the audience) also start treating them as entertainers. The star system will keep changing, and there will be characters that will last beyond stars.”
But are there still going to be stars? “The same thing may not be possible, but greater things are possible. Now you see platforms taking Indian culture, actors and films to a global stage. Becoming global stars is possible for Indian stars.”
(Crisp) Movie Review: BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER by FENIL SETA
10:44 AM
It must have been nothing short of a challenge for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s makers, especially with the untimely demise of Chadwick Boseman. But the manner in which they have taken the story forward is seen to be believed. Also, they have been very sensitive about the whole thing and the tribute given to Chadwick is very moving. The film has enough thrill, humour, emotions and scale in adequate doses and it keeps viewers gripped from start to finish. A few scenes take your breath away and that’s a feat, considering we have seen enough visual spectacles in Marvel films. Sadly, the big problem with the film is that it’s too lengthy. Its runtime is 161 minutes and the film ideally should have been shorter by 10-15 minutes. The long length takes away the impact to some extent. Speaking of performances, Letitia Wright delivers a great performance as the lead. Angela Bassett provides able support. Tenoch Huerta is superb as the villain and stands out from the rest of the MCU antagonists due to his style, intent and backstory. Danai Gurira is dependable as expected. Lupita Nyong'o is superb though she has limited screen time. Dominique Thorne gets a raw deal. Martin Freeman, Winston Duke and others are fine. All in all, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a well-made entertainer and emerges as the best Marvel film of 2022.
My rating - *** ½ out of 5!
My rating - *** ½ out of 5!
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 751
10:47 AM
MARVEL FILM AND AMITABH BACHCHAN-STARRER TO DOMINATE BOX OFFICE THIS WEEK
As expected, the three releases of last week – Phone Bhoot, Mili and Double XL – failed at the box office. Now, all eyes are on the next three weeks of November as it is expected that the collections will improve since some very promising films are up for release. Here’s an analysis of the films releasing tomorrow, that is, November 11.
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER: It is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has a huge following all over the world, including in India. There’s a curiosity to see the film as the one who played Black Panther till now, Chadwick Boseman, is no more and the film is going to play on this factor. This is the second Black Panther film; the first part was released in 2018 and opened at just Rs. 5.25 crores. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, however, can open in the range of Rs. 10-14 crores. If the word of mouth is positive, it can grow over the weekend and then sustain on the weekdays. However, if India reaches the T20 World Cup final, the Sunday collections will be affected though it might also mean that on Saturday, the collections will be better as viewers will watch the film on the second day instead of the third.
A double digit opening will be good news for the industry since films nowadays are struggling to open well. For the Marvel brand, however, this can be a little worrying since the first-day collections are dropping with each film. Spider-Man: No Way Home opened at a huge Rs. 32.75 crores. The next film, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, also had a great opening at Rs. 28 crores. The last Marvel film, Thor: Love And Thunder, opened at Rs. 18.25 crores. And now Black Panther will open at less than Rs. 15 crores, as per the estimates. One might reason that Black Panther is not that popular among moviegoers and hence, it’ll take such an opening. But then, even Doctor Strange wasn’t that popular ever but it got the goodwill of Spider-Man’s super-success. Nevertheless, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever makers don’t have much to worry about, especially since the reports from the West are very positive.
UUNCHAI: It is directed by blockbuster director Sooraj Barjatya, who’s known for making films about families. This time, however, he has made a film which celebrates friendship. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Parineeti Chopra, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani and Danny Denzongpa along with Neena Gupta and Sarika. The trailers and songs have generated minimal hype. The makers have gone for a very tight release, in less than 500 screens, and are hoping to increase prints once the demand rises. It’ll open in the range of Rs. 1-2 crores.
ROCKET GANG: It marks the directorial debut of choreographer Bosco Martis. It stars Aditya Seal and Nikita Dutta and is a unique horror-comedy-dance film. However, the hype is negligible and it’ll have a poor opening.
THAI MASSAGE: It stars Gajraj Rao and Divyenndu and is produced by Imtiaz Ali. Again, the awareness is low and it seems that the makers have shown too much in the trailers. Just like Rocket Gang, Thai Massage will also have an opening of less than Rs. 30 lakhs.
YASHODA: It stars Samantha and is originally a Tamil film. The dubbed Hindi version will get a limited release. Many are not even aware of this film. But the trailer is promising and if the word of mouth is positive, it can surprise like many South films have this year.
As expected, the three releases of last week – Phone Bhoot, Mili and Double XL – failed at the box office. Now, all eyes are on the next three weeks of November as it is expected that the collections will improve since some very promising films are up for release. Here’s an analysis of the films releasing tomorrow, that is, November 11.
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER: It is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has a huge following all over the world, including in India. There’s a curiosity to see the film as the one who played Black Panther till now, Chadwick Boseman, is no more and the film is going to play on this factor. This is the second Black Panther film; the first part was released in 2018 and opened at just Rs. 5.25 crores. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, however, can open in the range of Rs. 10-14 crores. If the word of mouth is positive, it can grow over the weekend and then sustain on the weekdays. However, if India reaches the T20 World Cup final, the Sunday collections will be affected though it might also mean that on Saturday, the collections will be better as viewers will watch the film on the second day instead of the third.
A double digit opening will be good news for the industry since films nowadays are struggling to open well. For the Marvel brand, however, this can be a little worrying since the first-day collections are dropping with each film. Spider-Man: No Way Home opened at a huge Rs. 32.75 crores. The next film, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, also had a great opening at Rs. 28 crores. The last Marvel film, Thor: Love And Thunder, opened at Rs. 18.25 crores. And now Black Panther will open at less than Rs. 15 crores, as per the estimates. One might reason that Black Panther is not that popular among moviegoers and hence, it’ll take such an opening. But then, even Doctor Strange wasn’t that popular ever but it got the goodwill of Spider-Man’s super-success. Nevertheless, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever makers don’t have much to worry about, especially since the reports from the West are very positive.
UUNCHAI: It is directed by blockbuster director Sooraj Barjatya, who’s known for making films about families. This time, however, he has made a film which celebrates friendship. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Parineeti Chopra, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani and Danny Denzongpa along with Neena Gupta and Sarika. The trailers and songs have generated minimal hype. The makers have gone for a very tight release, in less than 500 screens, and are hoping to increase prints once the demand rises. It’ll open in the range of Rs. 1-2 crores.
ROCKET GANG: It marks the directorial debut of choreographer Bosco Martis. It stars Aditya Seal and Nikita Dutta and is a unique horror-comedy-dance film. However, the hype is negligible and it’ll have a poor opening.
THAI MASSAGE: It stars Gajraj Rao and Divyenndu and is produced by Imtiaz Ali. Again, the awareness is low and it seems that the makers have shown too much in the trailers. Just like Rocket Gang, Thai Massage will also have an opening of less than Rs. 30 lakhs.
YASHODA: It stars Samantha and is originally a Tamil film. The dubbed Hindi version will get a limited release. Many are not even aware of this film. But the trailer is promising and if the word of mouth is positive, it can surprise like many South films have this year.
Strong movie runs, non-Hindi genre to boost multiplexes
8:35 AM
Top lines of PVR, Inox Leisure projected to grow 18-20% in FY24; restoration of 8-week exhibition timeline bodes well
Rajesh Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; July 19, 2022)
ET Intelligence Group: Multiplexes are likely to record higher growth in revenue than broadcast (channels) companies following a strong line-up of movies and rising popularity of non-Hindi releases. In contrast, channel broadcasters are expected to face headwinds of dwindling advertising revenue amid high production costs. Analysts expect multiplex companies including PVR and Inox Leisure to record 18-20% top-line growth for FY24 compared with the FY23 estimated numbers.
The top-line growth is expected to pick up for multiplexes in the second half of FY23 given a large number of big-budget, star-studded, and spectacle films in Hindi, regional languages and English. Films such as Laal Singh Chaddha, Shamshera, Brahmastra (Part I), Liger, Adipurush, Avatar: The Way Of Water and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are expected to generate high footfalls in theatres.
Besides, multiplexes are expected to benefit from a longer run of movies at theatres before debuting on over-the-top (OTT) streaming services. Before the Coronavirus pandemic, movies were released on OTT after completing eight weeks of theatrical exhibition. During the pandemic, the time frame was shortened to four weeks amid falling footfalls at the movie halls and improving reach of streaming services.
Now that the ticket sales at theatres are improving as demonstrated by some of the recent hit movies, filmmakers, distributors and exhibitors have decided to restore the eight-week time frame starting August 1. This augurs well for multiplexes given a strong line-up of movies and the ensuing festive season. The move will provide more weeks of collections for multiplexes boosting their revenues in the coming quarters.
The rising popularity of regional content is another positive factor. According to a distributor who requested anonymity, audiences are more open to films in regional and English languages as they are available with subtitles or dubbed. “Multiplexes no longer have a very high dependence on Hindi films for collections. Most blockbusters in recent months have been either in regional or English language,” he added.
On the other hand, the revenue of broadcast companies may fall or show lower growth because of the slowdown in advertising from FMCG, auto and new-age technology sectors, and high production and marketing expenses arising from inflation.
Hollywood is back in action, and how
8:16 AM
With curbs lifted, things seems to be finally looking up for the entertainment business
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 5, 2021)
As the Coronavirus crisis eases its grip across the world, Hollywood is making merry, and how! With major releases raking moolah at the box office and many big films going in production, it looks like things are finally headed in the right direction for the entertainment business.
Over its opening weekend, Fast & Furious 9 tallied $70 million in box-office receipts, the highest figure for a film that released in the midst of the pandemic. The previous record holder was A Quiet Place Part II, which opened in May with just under $50 million in ticket sales, reports CNBC.
According to Deadline, A Quiet Place Part II is closing in on $250 million worldwide and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It crossed $100 million at the international box office. Other releases that have hit the bullseye include The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.
In the next few weeks, a number of blockbuster features are lined up, such as Black Widow, Jungle Cruise, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Snake Eyes. This would be followed by Dune, Free Guy, Eternals, The Green Knight, The Suicide Squad, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Spider-Man: No Way Home and No Time To Die.
Not just releases, even film productions are going into overdrive. Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — the highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster Black Panther (2018) — has started production in Atlanta, reports Variety.
The original cast of the film is set to reunite sans Chadwick Boseman, who died in August last year after a four-year battle with colon cancer. The film is slated to release in July next year.
Filmmaker James Wan shared a picture of a clap board placed in an icy cavern and wrote, “Day One. #aquaman2”, signalling the commencement of the shoot of Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom. The Jason Momoa-led film will hit cinemas in December 2022.
Filmmaker Rian Johnson also took to social media to announce the production of Knives Out 2. Actor Daniel Craig will reprise his role as the clever private investigator Benoit Blanc, alongside a new cast that includes Dave Bautista and Edward Norton, among others.
The fourth instalment of the John Wick franchise is also in the works. The Chad Stahelski directorial, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Rina Sawayama and Shamier Anderson, is scheduled to release in May next year.
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