Showing posts with label John Wick: Chapter 4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Wick: Chapter 4. Show all posts
In six months, Bollywood delivers 2 blockbusters, 1 surprise super-hit
3:32 PM
Box Office India Trade Network
The first half of the year continued from where we left in 2022 with most films biting the dust. PATHAAN hit it out of the park with record numbers edging past BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION though in GROSS terms the Prabhas-starrer remains ahead. PATHAAN saw Shah Rukh Khan in the action genre which should have happened 10-15 years ago as a lot of his non performers were down to genre not being correct at the time of release for such a big star.
THE KERALA STORY was the surprise of the first six months as it racked up huge numbers for what the actual film as worth and the collections were more organic than last year's THE KASHMIR FILES which was on similar lines. Both these films are very low cost films with huge returns and are compared to biggest low cost film ever JAI SANTOSHI MAA (1975). But the box office success of these films is a notch lower as the reach is less than that film.
ZARA HATKE ZARA BACHKE was another big HIT and it is actually the most important film of the year as it is basically the bread and butter type film for the industry and it can still work. The film shows the audience profile has changed from upper middle/middle class to lower middle/middle class as nothing else in this zone has worked. But generally those films were more like pre pandemic aiming at the upper middle/middle classes. This film scored strongly in A centres of the Hindi belts pushing the box office over 80 crore nett with the help of super hit music.
The other moderate successes were TU JHOOTHI MAIN MAKKAAR and SATYAPREM KI KATHA but today even moderate is good. Actually today even a FLOP tag is pretty respectable as its one disaster after another. TU JHOOTHI MAIN MAKKAAR had a lot going for it with a strong cast and good music. As the film had a story and milieu which was very urban, the reach got limited and that reflects in collections. SATYAPREM KI KATHA is another film which has done well for what its worth. The film did not have much going for it and its managed a decent run till date and should end up around that 70 crore nett mark or near. The AVERAGE mark is disappointing for TU JHOOTHI MAIN MAKKAAR but you take it for SATYAPREM KI KATHA.
Last year there was support from the South with KGF: CHAPTER 2 and RRR but so far there has been nothing this year. Hollywood had some successful films with JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 being the surprise with collections of 50 crore nett. FAST X did a bigger number but expectations were also much higher.
There are flop theatrical films put in the list but as mentioned above, a flop is not bad as most films are disasters at the ticket counters today. The classifications of the first half of 2023 is as follows.
All Time Blockbuster
Pathaan
Super Blockbuster
The Kerala Story
Blockbuster
-
Super Hit
Zara Hatke Zara Bachke
Hit
John Wick: Chapter 4 (Hollywood)
Semi Hit
Fast X (Hollywood)
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (Hollywood)
Average
Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar
Satyaprem Ki Katha
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (Hollywood)
Below Average
Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway
Ponniyin Selvan - Part 2 (South)
Flop
Adipurush
Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan
Bholaa
Merger was the best way to make balance sheet stronger-Ajay Bijli
8:28 AM
Vinod Mahanta and Javed Farooqui (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; March 27, 2023)
A key priority for PVR-Inox currently is improving margins through better capital and operating expenses, says managing director Ajay Bijli. In an interview with ET’s Vinod Mahanta and Javed Farooqui, Bijli talks about the contours of the deal to merge the two companies that has created the world’s fifth largest multiplex chain and what lies ahead for the combined entity. Edited excerpts:
What was the rationale behind the merger of PVR and Inox?
This (multiplex) business has always been about scale. Only when you reach a certain scale, do economies kick in. Achieving a certain scale allows for operating and cost efficiencies, as seen in large companies worldwide with 4,000-5,000 screens or more. The pandemic completely devastated our balance sheets and business. And, the best way to make our balance sheet stronger and address the challenges we faced was through the merger. The merger allowed us to take on the challenges that lay ahead in the the exhibition industry. But it also means we have more responsibility now with more screens, seats to fill, people to manage, and expectations to meet.
How is the integration process going on?
Fortunately, the integration process is going well. We started with the day-one structure and prioritized bringing people together. We hired Kornferry about three–four weeks ago to assist with this process. We developed the day-one structure to give clarity on everyone's roles and responsibilities, which was essential for our 23,000–24,000 employees. Now we are looking at synergies in every revenue line, and we have launched a new 100-day initiative called Parikrama. We're currently exploring ways to improve various aspects of our business, such as ticket prices, advertising revenue, and cost items, whether its capex or opex. There are about 13-14 initiatives that are going on simultaneously, which BCG is monitoring. We've informed the markets that it will take at least 12-24 months before we start seeing the benefits of our efforts. We have given it a value of Rs. 225 crore in synergy.
PVR and Inox promoters would own 10.6% and 16.9% of PVR-Inox, respectively. How will operational side of it work?
I have been appointed as the MD of the company by the board and shareholders, along with the Jain family as executive directors with equal representation on the board. The chairman is Pavan Jain. As MD, I am responsible for running the company for the next five years. At the operating level, we have two co-CEOs due to the large scale of our operations. We have roughly 1,700 screens, including 180 that are currently being fitted out. So, the span of control of Gautam Dutta, who is CEO of North and South, is equivalent to the span of control of Alok Tandon, who is looking after West, East and Central. Our focus is on economies of scale and adopting best practices from both companies.
Has occupancy reached pre-Covid levels? Will the higher ticket pricing hold after the Coronavirus bump subsides?
Occupancy rates vary by region, with the South having reached pre-Covid levels while West, North and East have not. We do think the ticket prices will hold. They haven't gone up by that much; it’s less than inflation in a three-year period. By the way, minimum wages have gone up, electricity has gone up, and so have all input costs. We have stayed below inflation.
Do you see a recovery in ad revenue once big-budget movies start doing better?
Everything is dependent on footfall — all our revenues are binary. The FY23-24 line-up is looking good. We have Ajay Devgn’s Bholaa releasing now, and John Wick: Chapter 4 has been released and has gotten a lot of traction. Then we have Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani. Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan is coming.
(Crisp): Movie Review: JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 by FENIL SETA
4:18 PM
John Wick: Chapter 4 makes for a fun watch, as expected. This is the longest film of the franchise. Despite the run time of 171 minutes, it doesn’t bore even for a second. Some of the action sequences are 20-30 minutes long but don’t seem to drag at all. The finale is nail-biting and a few scenes are sure to leave audiences amazed. Get ready to hear collective sighs and hoots and claps in your show. Sadly, the first half of the film is not upto the mark. The action gives a been-there-done-that kind of feeling. Also, the major issue with the film is that some of the key questions remain unanswered and a few developments are very unconvincing. Speaking of performances, Keanu Reeves is terrific, as expected. Donnie Yen (Caine) is a nice addition to the series and stuns the audience with his role as a blind assassin. Bill Skarsgård (Marquis) is nothing special. Ian McShane (Winston) is dependable, as always. The late Lance Reddick is very good. Hiroyuki Sanada (Koji) rocks the show in a small role. Shamier Anderson (Mr Nobody), Laurence Fishburne (Bowery King) and Rina Sawayama (Akira) leave a mark in small roles. Others do well. All in all, John Wick: Chapter 4 is a justified sequel and a must-watch for the fans. (P.S.: DON’T MISS THE POST-CREDIT SCENE).
My rating - *** out of 5!
My rating - *** out of 5!
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 770
9:11 AM
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 TO SURPRISE THIS WEEK
Last week was a pleasant surprise as Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway held decently at the box office. It surprisingly saw a slight jump in collections on Tuesday as Wednesday was a partial holiday on account of Gudi Padwa. Wednesday collections were also strong and the film will end up with a lifetime of Rs. 15-17 crores, provided it remains steady in the second weekend. The collections aren’t huge but for a film like this, it’s reasonable, especially in the post-pandemic world. Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, meanwhile, dropped a bit on Friday but jumped on Saturday and Sunday. This film also did well on the weekdays and it is expected to collect Rs. 120-125 crores in its lifetime.
And this week, too, will bring smiles. John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to release today evening and the advance sales are very encouraging. It has proved to be a surprise as the earlier three films weren’t that big in India. John Wick 3 had collected around Rs. 11 crores while the first 2 parts had collectively earned Rs. 4 crores only. John Wick: Chapter 4, meanwhile, can collect as much as John Wick 3’s lifetime collections by Sunday or even by Saturday. It has the potential to cross the Rs. 25 crores mark. What will benefit the fourth part is that it’ll also release in Hindi. Moreover, the reviews from the West are very positive. It’s difficult to say how the series became this big all of a sudden but the studio and the exhibitors are not complaining for sure.
The other major release of the week is Bheed. It is directed by Anubhav Sinha and stars Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Pankaj Kapur, Dia Mirza, Kritika Kamra and Ashutosh Rana. It is set during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic and hence, it’s releasing on the eve of the first lockdown.
Bheed, however, has been in the news due to its controversies. The teaser of the film drew sharp reactions as it compared the lockdown with the partition. Interestingly, T-Series was involved with the film then. But the criticism towards the teaser and also the belief that the film is ‘anti-government’ reportedly made T-Series back out of the film. Hence, the posters and assets that came later on didn’t bear the name of the production house. The trailer was then released and some days later, it was pulled down. It was up again but this time the voiceover of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was edited out, as were a few more references.
A section of people, however, is providing full support to Bheed. But the number of such people is very few. The film is meant for niche audiences and on top of it, it is in black and white. A large section of the audience will stay away from the film. Also, the lockdown is a painful memory which people probably don’t want to revisit.
Anubhav Sinha’s last film Anek opened at Rs. 1.71 crores. Bheed is expected to have a lesser opening. Good word of mouth can help the film to grow over the weekend.
Last week was a pleasant surprise as Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway held decently at the box office. It surprisingly saw a slight jump in collections on Tuesday as Wednesday was a partial holiday on account of Gudi Padwa. Wednesday collections were also strong and the film will end up with a lifetime of Rs. 15-17 crores, provided it remains steady in the second weekend. The collections aren’t huge but for a film like this, it’s reasonable, especially in the post-pandemic world. Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, meanwhile, dropped a bit on Friday but jumped on Saturday and Sunday. This film also did well on the weekdays and it is expected to collect Rs. 120-125 crores in its lifetime.
And this week, too, will bring smiles. John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to release today evening and the advance sales are very encouraging. It has proved to be a surprise as the earlier three films weren’t that big in India. John Wick 3 had collected around Rs. 11 crores while the first 2 parts had collectively earned Rs. 4 crores only. John Wick: Chapter 4, meanwhile, can collect as much as John Wick 3’s lifetime collections by Sunday or even by Saturday. It has the potential to cross the Rs. 25 crores mark. What will benefit the fourth part is that it’ll also release in Hindi. Moreover, the reviews from the West are very positive. It’s difficult to say how the series became this big all of a sudden but the studio and the exhibitors are not complaining for sure.
The other major release of the week is Bheed. It is directed by Anubhav Sinha and stars Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Pankaj Kapur, Dia Mirza, Kritika Kamra and Ashutosh Rana. It is set during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic and hence, it’s releasing on the eve of the first lockdown.
Bheed, however, has been in the news due to its controversies. The teaser of the film drew sharp reactions as it compared the lockdown with the partition. Interestingly, T-Series was involved with the film then. But the criticism towards the teaser and also the belief that the film is ‘anti-government’ reportedly made T-Series back out of the film. Hence, the posters and assets that came later on didn’t bear the name of the production house. The trailer was then released and some days later, it was pulled down. It was up again but this time the voiceover of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was edited out, as were a few more references.
A section of people, however, is providing full support to Bheed. But the number of such people is very few. The film is meant for niche audiences and on top of it, it is in black and white. A large section of the audience will stay away from the film. Also, the lockdown is a painful memory which people probably don’t want to revisit.
Anubhav Sinha’s last film Anek opened at Rs. 1.71 crores. Bheed is expected to have a lesser opening. Good word of mouth can help the film to grow over the weekend.
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