New ‘Black Panther’ film to release on 11 November

NEW DELHI: Marvel’s latest superhero flick Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will release in cinemas on 11 November. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is intended to be the sequel to Black Panther (2018) and the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is being directed by Ryan Coogler, and stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, and Angela Bassett.

In 2021, English language films earned around ₹400 crore in India. In 2019, Hollywood films had made ₹1,200 crore in the market, accounting for a 22-25% share of the market.

Hollywood films have emerged as true pan-India offerings, say trade experts, something that even local superstars such as Salman Khan and Rajinikanth cannot do as their films appeal largely to viewers in their native markets. It’s hugely aspirational for the youth to keep up with what may be a global fad. The only challenge is that Hollywood studios only go to DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives)-compliant theatres. However, the number of 2K cinemas is steadily going up, he said.

DCI is a joint venture of several film studios, including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros, to set up a common set of requirements that ensure a high and uniform standard of digital cinema viewing. If the latest Spider-Man film, No Way Home had gone to non-DCI theatres, opting for a release as wide as a regular Hindi film, it could have easily made Rs. 55-60 crore on day one alone.

Trade experts point out that states in southern India are the biggest markets for Hollywood films in India followed by Maharashtra. Dubbed versions of Spider-Man were a hit in Tamil and Telugu alongside major local films last December.