Bollywood Sees Hope in Franchise Films as 2025 Releases Loom Large

Mumbai, Dec 21 (Alarian News) - As the curtains close on a relatively underwhelming 2024, trade experts and film exhibitors are pinning hopes on Salman Khan's highly anticipated film Sikandar, a plethora of franchise offerings like War 2, Raid 2, and Housefull 5, which they believe will reignite audience interest at the box office.

The film landscape for 2025 is loaded with diverse content, including Kangana Ranaut's political drama Emergency, Akshay Kumar's war film Sky Force, Shahid Kapoor's action-packed thriller Deva and Vicky Kaushal-starrer historical drama Chhaava. The latter chronicles the life of Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

Industry insiders believe that Salman Khan's Sikandar, set to release on the occasion of Eid in March, holds the key to a successful 2025. "It's tough to guess now which film will do well because publicity has not started," said Nitin Datar, president of the Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India.

However, trade analyst Taran Adarsh says there's an “overdose” of franchise films, but he is hopeful that each film will attain commercial success. "It's going to be a strong 2025, there's a good line-up of movies. There's going to be an overdose of franchises and sequels," he said.

Trade expert Girish Wankhede feels Salman Khan's Sikandar might set the tone for an eventful year, which will also see Aamir Khan's Sitaare Zameen Par arriving in theatres by mid-2025. Wankhede expects a plethora of sequels and prequels from both Bollywood and the South Indian film industry.

In terms of releases in 2025, the second half of the year boasts an impressive lineup, including the sequel to popular titles such as Jolly LLB 3, Raid 2, Housefull 5, War 2, Baaghi 4, De De Pyaar De, and Son of Sardaar 2.

While trade experts like Adarsh are optimistic about the year ahead, they also caution against audience fatigue. "There's an overdose of franchises and sequels," Adarsh says. "Let's place our bets on every film that comes in."

The industry is looking forward to a successful 2025, with a mix of high-profile releases and diverse content expected to captivate audiences.

Release Calendar:

• March (Eid release): Salman Khan's Sikandar
• Late April/Early May: Kangana Ranaut's Emergency, Akshay Kumar's Sky Force, Shahid Kapoor's Deva, Vicky Kaushal's Chhaava
• Summer: Jolly LLB 3 sequel, Raid 2 sequel, Housefull 5
• Pre-Diwali 2025: Gully Boy sequels, Badeebazi

Note: This is a list of announced releases and might not be exhaustive due to the time of news publication.