MUMBAI: The Indian – read Hindi cinema-  box office has been going through some earth shaking changes with sleeper movies emerging as gargantuan block busters and big films with A-listers ending up as disasters without even a whimper.  

But what’s been happening with Hollywood cinema in India? 

Hollywood films have experienced considerable fluctuations in their box office performance in India over the past decade. The late 2010s saw significant success, primarily driven by superhero films. The pandemic then interrupted this trajectory, leading to a period of decline in Hollywood's market share.

Ormax Media has examined Hollywood's box office journey in India, from the pre-pandemic peak influenced by the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and other superhero franchises to the post-pandemic environment where Hollywood's share has decreased, but new genres have emerged as significant contributors in its latest report – Hollywood in India – The decline in numbers. 
 

The report says that the year 2019 represented a peak for Hollywood in India, with cumulative gross box office earnings reaching Rs 1,595 crore. This growth resulted in Hollywood securing a 15 per cent share of the Indian box office, becoming the second-highest contributor by language, after Hindi cinema. In 2019, the total gross earnings of Hollywood films in India, across both English and dubbed versions, surpassed those of the Tamil and Telugu film industries.

Indian audiences, with increasing exposure to global content and drawn to large-scale visual productions, attended Hollywood releases in record numbers. This pre-pandemic success was driven by major event films that resonated strongly with young, urban audiences. Global franchises invested significantly in localised marketing strategies for the Indian market, which yielded substantial returns. By 2019, Hollywood studios were no longer niche players in India but were competing with local industries for top box office positions, with superhero films playing a leading role.

The superhero genre was a primary driver of Hollywood's strong performance in India during the late 2010s. The MCU and other competing universes cultivated a significant fan base in the country. Each new Avengers installment achieved greater success than its predecessor, with Avengers: Endgame reaching a record Rs 433 crore in India. 2019 also saw multiple other superhero films contribute to Hollywood's Rs 1,500+ crore total. This period was characterised by a consistent supply of highly anticipated films, particularly from Marvel Studios, alongside releases from DC and other franchises.

However, maintaining this momentum after Avengers: Endgame proved challenging. The culmination of a decade of storytelling, particularly the conclusion of Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Iron Man, marked a significant point for superhero fans in India. While the MCU's Phase 4 introduced new characters and stories, the reception was less enthusiastic, reflecting a global trend of decreasing audience engagement with superhero films.

Post-Endgame, while some MCU films performed adequately, they did not achieve the record-breaking success of previous installments. Many underperformed expectations, aligning with a global trend where most superhero films in 2023 did not reach the billion-dollar mark globally. DC films also faced challenges. This indicates a shift in audience preferences regarding superhero content.

Consequently, Hollywood's overall market share in India declined from approximately 15 per cent in 2019 to single digits by 2023. This was accompanied by a decrease in footfalls. The impact of superhero releases on Hollywood's India earnings has diminished. Before the pandemic, a major Marvel release could contribute significantly to Hollywood's annual box office in India.

However, this trend has seen a decline since 2020. Spider-Man: No Way Home in December 2021 was an exception, achieving a gross of around Rs 250 crore in India. However, other Marvel Phase 4 films achieved more modest results. By 2022, while Indian theaters had fully reopened, Hollywood released fewer films. 

Although significant releases like The Batman, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Jurassic World Dominion, and Avatar: The Way of Water contributed to box office revenue, it was not a record year. In 2023, despite the overall Indian box office reaching a record Rs 12,000 crore, Hollywood's share decreased to nine per cent, with the contribution of the superhero genre declining significantly.

In contrast to the declining dominance of superhero films post-pandemic, other Hollywood blockbusters gained prominence in India. Audiences showed increased interest in genres such as science fiction epics, biographical dramas, creature features, and animated films. Avatar: The Way of Water achieved the highest gross for a Hollywood film in India, surpassing Avengers: Endgame. Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer also performed well, indicating an audience for diverse, high-concept filmmaking. Additionally, the monster-verse films and animated features have found a significant audience. In 2024, several animated films were among the top Hollywood grossers in India, highlighting the genre's current strength.

Moving forward, Hollywood will aim to regain market share in India by focusing on diverse and innovative content, supported by effective marketing strategies. The post-pandemic success of films like Avatar: The Way of Water and Oppenheimer, along with the growing appeal of animated films, suggests that while the era of superhero dominance may have passed, Indian audiences still seek compelling cinematic experiences. 

However, reaching the peak of 2019 may present a considerable challenge in the current landscape.
One can’t forget that in the years preceding the pandemic, specifically in 2019, Hollywood's Indian box office reached a significant milestone, achieving a gross revenue of Rs 1,595 crore and a 15 per cent market share. This growth was largely propelled by franchise films and shared universes, particularly within the superhero genre.iin 2019 marked a peak in this trend, generating substantial box office returns.

However, the momentum experienced in the superhero genre prior to the pandemic began to wane in the subsequent period. Following the reopening of theaters in 2022, Hollywood faced challenges in regaining its previous market share in India. Notably, films outside the superhero genre demonstrated that Indian audiences were increasingly receptive to large-scale productions and diverse narratives.