Marvel’s new film ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ to release on 17 February

Marvel’s new superhero film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will release in cinemas on 17 February, 2023. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is intended to be the sequel to Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) and the 31st film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Peyton Reed, and stars Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly alongside Jonathan Majors, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas, Kathryn Newton, David Dastmalchian, William Jackson Harper, Katy O’Brian, and Bill Murray.

A robust slate of movies in the second half of the year, following successive hits such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder in the first half, helped Hollywood maintain its share in the Indian box office last year.

Trade experts said American films that are increasingly finding an audience in small towns are driving the need for large-format cinemas in such places, where young viewers closely follow franchises and characters.

In 2019, Hollywood movies made ₹1,250 crore- ₹1,300 crore out of the total ₹4,400 crore made by theatrical releases across languages in India. Hollywood has also rebounded far better than Hindi films in the post-pandemic period. Close on the heels of Spider-Man: No Way Home which made over ₹218 crore upon its release in India last December, Hollywood has given hits like The Batman ( ₹48.10 crore), Doctor Strange ( ₹130 crore), Top Gun: Maverick ( ₹34.50 crore), Jurassic World Dominion ( ₹68.56 crore) and Thor: Love and Thunder ( ₹101.71 crore) over the past few months.

Hollywood is recovering well after the pandemic as people discover new entertainment on streaming services. However, challenges in India arise from the fact that with advancements in technology, the trend globally is moving towards large formats and larger screens. Premium large-format theatres are becoming popular in India, but continue to remain a luxury with tremendous growth potential.