‘Wonder Woman 1984‘ is that ray of hope that all cinema owners and goers had been long waiting for. It might just be the beginning of the end of all the apprehensions that the theater owners had in mind when cinema halls were shut down indefinitely during the COVID-19 pandemic and films started taking the digital route.
We earlier said that the box office numbers of DC’s Gal Gadot starrer ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ were a saving grace for the film, turns out, its not just for this film but for the entire theatre industry that has been grappling with losses for quite a time now.
‘Wonder Woman 1984’ released on Christmas and grossed $16.7 million (US and Canada) and $85 million worldwide, in the opening weekend. A welcome feat in the most uncertain of times that even the much awaited ‘Tenet’ by Christopher Nolan could not achieve when it earlier came out during the Labour Day weekend and had the opening weekend box office collection (US) of only $9.3 million.
These BO numbers of WW84 are a testament to what has been said many times that theatrical experience is something that people will want to return to, no matter how much they have to wait. The direct-to-OTT release format was something that was born out of the moment’s necessity and was never meant to replace the conventional process of films releasing on the big screen.
Though this new format might have given rise to a new category of films that may now opt for digital release only. And in the long term it might actually be a win-win scenario for both the theatres and the filmmakers, in situations when a non-commercial film doesn’t attract the kind of audience that it does on an OTT platform.
Though this newly found and much needed hope is a foreign phenomenan when compared to Indian market, it certainly brings assurance that this is what’s going to happen when Indian filmmakers start having theatrical releases for films that the audience would be willing to risk going out for.
So which upcoming Indian film do you think will justify being released on a big screen?