Over two consecutive weekends in July 2025, the Indian box office witnessed a clear, repeatable pattern: Hollywood titles not only captured top billing — they dominated over their Hindi-language counterparts. Jurassic World: Rebirth, Superman, and F1: The Movie have all convincingly outperformed mid-budget Hindi films releasing alongside them, sparking a larger question in trade circles.
Is Bollywood losing the attention of multiplex audiences in its comfort zone — the ₹20–70 crore theatrical window? And is Hollywood now the default choice for moviegoers seeking spectacle in India?
Let’s unpack the latest box office trends that hint at a shifting dynamic in India’s theatrical marketplace.Two Weekends, Two Hollywood Wins
Weekend 1: July 4–6
Scarlett Johansson’s dino-powered sequel Jurassic World: Rebirth roared into its second weekend with a staggering ₹40 crore net collection. Despite facing a usual second-week drop, the film held strongly — thanks to impressive word-of-mouth and premium format appeal.
In comparison, the main Bollywood release that weekend — Metro… In Dino, an urban relationship drama with a solid ensemble — could only manage ₹17 crore over the same period. The film’s city-centric storytelling struggled to compete with the global pull of a tentpole franchise.
Weekend 2: July 11–13
The pattern continued the following weekend with James Gunn’s Superman. The film, marking the launch of DC’s new universe, brought in ₹25 crore in its opening weekend, easily outpacing Rajkummar Rao’s Maalik, which debuted with ₹15 crore.
Despite positive reviews, Maalik lacked the theatrical “event” quality that increasingly defines box office success today. For multiplex-goers, Superman delivered that in spades.
Hollywood’s Streak in 2025: Rebirth, Racing & Reckoning
Hollywood’s presence at the Indian box office in 2025 has not just grown — it’s become dominant. Here’s where things stand:
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning leads the pack with ₹92 crore, making it the highest-grossing Hollywood release in India so far this year.
Jurassic World: Rebirth is roaring just behind at ₹76.25 crore, with a strong third weekend expected.
F1: The Movie, starring Bradley Cooper in a stylized biopic of a Formula One legend, has quietly raced to ₹65 crore — an impressive feat for a genre film without franchise baggage.
Final Destination: Bloodlines, the horror sequel reboot, has grossed ₹57.55 crore
Superman, opened strong with ₹28.25 crore in four days, becoming the second-best Hollywood opener of the year.
These figures represent more than momentary success — they show consistency. According to Ormax Media, Hollywood’s share of India’s total theatrical revenue is projected to climb to 22% in 2025, more than doubling from under 10% last year.
Hollywood’s Foothold in India:
Hollywood’s presence at the Indian box office has evolved over the past two decades — from niche releases catering to urban centers to becoming a key player in the country’s theatrical economy. The turning point came in the late 2010s, with major studio tentpoles finding mass acceptance across metros and even select Tier 2 cities.
The landmark year was 2019, when Hollywood films collectively grossed ₹1,595 crore in India — the highest ever. This wave was led by:
Avengers: Endgame , The Lion King, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Captain Marvel, Hobbs & Shaw, Aladdin
In the post-pandemic years, Hollywood remained resilient:
2022: ₹1,230 crore (with Avatar: The Way of Water, The Batman, Doctor Strange 2)
2023: ₹1,139 crore (driven by Oppenheimer, Barbie, Jurassic World Dominion)
India emerged as a key overseas market — Oppenheimer alone earned $7 million here in its opening weekend, behind only North America and the UK.
Hollywood isn’t replacing Bollywood — not yet. Indian films still dominate the overall box office, particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 centers, and regional cinema continues to surge.
But what’s clear is that in the multiplex-driven urban space, Hollywood is outmuscling Bollywood’s mid-budget slate. Whether it’s high-octane action (MI8), nostalgia (Jurassic World), superhero spectacle (Superman), or stylish biopics (F1), Hollywood films are consistently claiming bigger weekends and longer legs at the box office.
For Bollywood, the message is unmistakable: scale up, stand out, or risk being sidelined.
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