The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It starts off on a spooky note, very different from the rest of The Conjuring films. The novelty continues throughout the first half. However, the second half is weak and not as terrifying. The jump scares are a bit repetitive and the culmination is not as impactful. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga do their job very well and just seeing them investigate about demons and stuff is quite fun. Ruairi O’Connor leaves a mark. Sarah Catherine is lovely while Julian Hilliard dominates the first 10 minutes of the film. John Noble is great and his sad smile is haunting. Eugenie Bondurant is apt for the role of the Occultist. All in all, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is an average fare overall. Here’s hoping that the makers get back in top form should they make another installment of The Conjuring.

My rating - ** ½ out of 5!

MAHARASHTRA THEATRES WILL NOT OPEN THIS WEEK; WILL FAST & FURIOUS 9 AND BELLBOTTOM GET AFFECTED?

Last week, we discussed how Hollywood studios in India have decided to release their films even though the key market of Maharashtra is still shut. Mortal Kombat was released on July 30 and today, The Suicide Squad is releasing. The latter is having a day-and-date release, meaning, it releases on the same day in India as in the USA and many other markets. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It will arrive in cinemas next week, on August 13, but the trade was most excited for Fast & Furious 9, which will hit theatres on August 19.

Last Friday, it was announced that the much awaited Akshay Kumar starrer Bellbottom would also release on August 19. A section of trade and exhibitors were concerned with the clash as it could mean that the business would get divided. But the excitement of having two major releases in cinemas overpowered all apprehensions.

The Bellbottom announcement happened a day after Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope indicated that cinemas will be allowed to open in the state in August. However, when the guidelines for August were announced on Monday, August 2, everyone got a grave shock. As per the directives, cinema halls and theatres were not allowed to resume operations in Maharashtra. Everyone feared that Bellbottom would be pushed since Maharashtra contributes a major chunk of business. Thankfully, the makers of Bellbottom launched their trailer at a grand event on Tuesday, August 3.

So will Bellbottom release in theatres in India sans Maharashtra? Sources in the trade and exhibition sector have assured that cinemas would be allowed to reopen in the state between August 12 and August 15. The makers of Bellbottom have been assured of it and this is why, it is said, that the film is releasing on August 19. At the trailer launch of the film, Akshay Kumar hinted that 2 weeks are left for the film to release and that anything can happen in this period.

As for Hollywood, we had reported last week that the studios have decided not to wait for Maharashtra and scheduled their releases. These films would still release regardless of whether or not Maharashtra allows cinemas to reopen. But what if the Maharashtra government does a U-turn and doesn't permit theatres? Will Bellbottom still make it? These questions are unsettling and here’s hoping everyone gets a clear idea by next week.

FAST & FURIOUS 9 IS A SUCCESS IN THE HOME MARKET; ALL EYES NOW ON BLACK WIDOW!

Two weeks back, we spoke about how the box office performance has improved drastically in foreign countries. Numerous Hollywood films, small and big, have been released since March and some of them have emerged to be a big success. The revival began with Godzilla vs. Kong which was released on March 31. Worldwide, it has collected more than $450 million.

Later, Mortal Kombat, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway and Cruella ended up doing decent business. The horror film A Quiet Place Part II emerged as a surprise. It performed as if there’s no pandemic and as of July 5, it has collected a mind-boggling $258 million worldwide. Another horror film that also worked is The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Its worldwide collections are nearly $175 million. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It probably earned less than A Quiet Place Part II as the former’s word of mouth is not that positive and also because it was released simultaneously online, on HBO Max. Yet, it's great the film has collected so much and it's still going strong.

On June 25, the much-awaited film, Fast & Furious 9, released in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom and many major markets. Before, it had already got a release in China, Russia, South Korea, UAE etc from where it had already earned $292.5 million, more than its budget of around $200 million. The film has received mixed reviews and yet, the film is going super strong. In the USA, it collected $122 million till Monday, July 4. The trade experts out there are excited to see which film hits the $150 million mark first – Fast & Furious 9 or A Quiet Place Part II whose earnings stand at $145 million.

In the United Kingdom, it has collected £11 million. As of July 5, it has collected nearly $500 million worldwide. It is the first Hollywood film post-pandemic to do so. The last film to cross this coveted mark was Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker. It was released in December 2019 and had collected $1.07 billion. Fast & Furious 9, however, won’t be able to cross the $1 billion mark, though its predecessors – Fast & Furious 7 and Fast & Furious 8 – had achieved the feat. Fast & Furious 6 had collected $789 million worldwide and that should be the target of Fast & Furious 9.

These are extraordinary collections in times of pandemic and with each passing day, the situation is improving. This Friday, July 9, will see the release of Black Widow, a Marvel film. It also has a tremendous buzz and it remains to be seen if it can go past the collections put up by Fast & Furious 9.

HOLLYWOOD MARKET BACK ON ITS FEET; ALL EYES ON INDIAN BOX OFFICE!

The number of Coronavirus cases has come down considerably in India in the last 40 days. The government in various states has permitted the opening of the economy to an extent. However, due to the possibility of a third wave coupled with insufficient vaccination coverage, there is fear that we might face another outbreak shortly. However, in the long run, things will be better for India, as proved by the performance of countries that have vaccinated a substantial chunk of the population. In the USA, New Zealand, Australia, UAE etc, cases have decreased while vaccination is going great. As a result, its citizens are much more confident to come out. And in these and other countries, the footfalls in cinemas have increased considerably.

The first sign of revival was seen with the release of Godzilla vs. Kong, which was released on March 31, 2021, in the USA and most markets. It was released simultaneously on the digital platform HBO Max. And yet, it had a weekend of $31.6 million. Worldwide, it did a huge business of nearly $443 million. Later, films like Mortal Kombat and Cruella also had a healthy box office run, further proving that the situation is improving. Meanwhile, a Japanese animated film, Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train, also opened well in the USA and other countries.

Then, the much-awaited horror film, A Quiet Place Part II, released in many countries on May 28. Surprisingly, the film had the best weekend post-pandemic in the USA and Canada, collecting $47.4 million. In other words, it collected better than the biggie, Godzilla vs. Kong, on the weekend. This was probably as the confidence of going to cinemas was a little less when Godzilla vs. Kong released two months before. Also, Godzilla vs. Kong was released on HBO Max simultaneously. But A Quiet Place Part II was available only in cinemas. Its weekend earnings led to excitement because these numbers are at par with what the film could have earned pre-pandemic. As of June 21, 2021, A Quiet Place Part II has collected $126.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $96.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $223 million.

Lastly, another hyped horror film, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, released on June 4, a week after A Quiet Place Part II. It had a decent weekend of $24 million. Again, like Godzilla vs. Kong, it was available on a streaming platform simultaneously and that must have taken away a chunk of theatrical earnings. Till June 20, it has managed to collect $142.8 million worldwide, which is more than A Quiet Place Part II.

All eyes are now on Fast & Furious 9, which releases almost everywhere tomorrow, on June 25. The series needs no introduction. Its spectacular action scenes make it a must-watch on the big screen. It has already been released in countries like China, Russia, South Korea, UAE etc and has had a great run. It has already earned $292.5 million, more than its budget of around $200 million. Obviously, the collections will get a boost once it releases in the USA, Canada and other countries. It remains to be seen if it can cross the $443 million lifetime collections of Godzilla vs. Kong.

These numbers prove that despite the availability of entertainment options at home, people are desperate to go out and watch films in cinemas, just like in the old times. Hence, even in India, one can expect the box office to get back on track once the Covid-19 threat subsides.