The Summer season of 2023 has officially kicked off with five major blockbusters- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fast X, The Little Mermaid, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts raking in lots of moolah for the studios and appreciation among the movie-going audiences. India is also on board for these tentpoles as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 broke into the 50 crore mark, Fast X into the 100 crore mark and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse scored the highest weekend ever for any animation film in India. All three of these films are the highest-grossing films of their respective franchises in India already. Hollywood films are a major source of income for premium multiplexes in metros and A-centres and more importantly, premium formats such as IMAX and 4DX and dubbed versions of the films help them go beyond these odd 30-40 cities across the entire nation. With Bollywood having a relatively bleak Summer period, Hollywood has a lot of exciting films in store for the remaining period.
THE FLASH
The Flash is the 13th instalment of the DC Extended Universe which has been a bumpy road but the addition of Ben Affleck and Micheal Keaton’s renditions of Batman along with the continuous delays due to real-life controversies of the lead actor, Ezra Miller have ensured enough hype for this project. The early reviews of the film have been favourable by the franchise’s standards which ensures that the general audiences will enjoy it and be more receptive towards it than the previous entries of the franchise. The film will be released on 15th June 2023 in India which is 1 day before its US release and will be sharing screens with the local magnum opus Adipurush which has also generated a lot of buzz, both positive and negative. It is expected to open around the 6-8 crore range on its opening day in India.
ONE WEEK. #TheFlash pic.twitter.com/qwgqNhXVQ4
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) June 9, 2023
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the 5th and final instalment of the long-running Indiana Jones franchise which set a new benchmark for adventure films. It is the first film in the franchise which is not directed by Steven Spielberg with the director’s chair taken over by James Mangold who is responsible for critically acclaimed films like Logan and Ford v Ferrari. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 18th May to mixed reviews but the nostalgia factor along with it being the final film of the beloved franchise ensures at least a good opening in its home market. The film will be released on 29th June 2023 in India which is 1 day before its US release and will be sharing screens with a big regional release Carry on Jatta 3 in the northern part of the country i.e Punjab, Haryana and Delhi and Bollywood romantic drama Satyaprem ki Katha in the rest of the country. It is expected to open around the 1.5-2 crore range on its opening day in India due to the fierce competition and low brand value of the series in India.
One last adventure awaits.
— Indiana Jones (@IndianaJones) June 9, 2023
Experience #IndianaJones and the Dial of Destiny only in theaters June 30. Get tickets now: https://t.co/DT6MFOXBQ1 pic.twitter.com/frBhEmfWgE
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE- DEAD RECKONING PART ONE
Following the immense success of Top Gun: Maverick all over the world including India where it ran for more than 100 days in many cinemas, the biggest action star Tom Cruise is back with another beloved franchise coming to its penultimate conclusion i.e. Mission Impossible. The franchise boasts of death-defying stunts and intelligent storylines, making it a cult among action movie lovers. Both the trailers of this film got a magnanimous response from the viewers with Tom Cruise proving again that age is just a number. The film will be released on 12th July 2023 in India, coinciding with its US release date with only the propaganda film Ajmer 92 being its local competitor so far but it will be no issue as both films cater to a different audience. It is expected to open around the 12-14 crore range on its opening day in India and will further cement Tom Cruise as the biggest Hollywood star in the country.
When everything is on the line, you want him on your team. See #MissionImpossible – Dead Reckoning Part One only in theatres July 12. pic.twitter.com/BlrbLg6rdP
— Mission: Impossible (@MissionFilm) June 6, 2023
OPPENHEIMER
Known for his complex mind-bending storylines and use of practical effects which are to be seen on the biggest screen possible, Christopher Nolan has carved a niche for himself as one of the finest film directors in the world. Boasting a stellar cast, high usage of IMAX technology to shoot the film with it being the first film in history to be shot on IMAX black and white photographic film and the usage of real explosives instead of visual effects make it a must-watch for hardcore cinephiles already. The film will be released on 21st July 2023 in India, clashing only with its Hollywood competitor Barbie which is the next and final film we will be covering. It is expected to open around the 5-6 crore range on its opening day which is excellent considering the niche thriller genre, the A-certificate the film is most likely to get as it has been rated R in the United States and no plan of dubbed versions in the country so far.
40 days until OPPENHEIMER pic.twitter.com/ZWamKeL2XG
— Christopher Nolan Art & Updates (@NolanAnalyst) June 10, 2023
BARBIE
Another film made by an acclaimed Academy-nominated director and boasting an ensemble cast consisting of many well-known faces like Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, John Cena and also the big screen debut of highly acclaimed and chart-busting female pop star Dua Lipa, Barbie has created a massive buzz for itself due to social media memes which have got even the people outside its target audience hyped for the film and its clash with Oppenheimer has further increased its awareness. The film also looks like the quintessential feel-good entertainer the cinemas have been missing for a long time with a refreshing concept. It will be released on 21st July in India, sharing screens with another much-awaited competitor from the same industry, Oppenheimer and both films will surely give a good 1 week to exhibitors in metros and A-centres. It is expected to open around 3-4 crore range on its opening day.
The audiences are surely spoilt for choices with blockbusters catering to every section of the audience released in just a span of 1.5 months and this surely looks even more exciting than last year’s Summer.