Hollywood films surge in India, poised to capture 20-25% of box office in 2026

Producers, distributors and film trade analysts are optimistic that the share of international films in India's total box-office collections will reach 20-25% this year, surpassing the historical high of 15% in 2019. A key aspect in the success of Hollywood films is its appeal across genres. While biopics and epics such as Michael, The Odyssey and original IPs such as Project Hail Mary and Obsession found strong appeal among cinegoers, franchises such as Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Evil Dead Burn proved the power of loyal audience following.

Mumbai: Hollywood is experiencing a standout performance in India this year buoyed by box-office wins of several releases. Total collections reached ₹1,424 crore in the first seven months of 2026, per a study by Ormax Media study, a media and entertainment research firm. Notably, the figure is close to Hollywood's historically high collection of ₹1,595 crore in 2019.

Films such as Obsession, Michael, Project Hail Mary, The Odyssey, Evil Dead Burn, The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Mummy, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day helped drive the stellar show.

Producers, distributors and film trade analysts are optimistic that the share of international films in India's total box-office collections will reach 20-25% this year, surpassing the historical high of 15% in 2019. A key aspect in the success of Hollywood films is its appeal across genres. While biopics and epics such as Michael, The Odyssey and original IPs such as Project Hail Mary and Obsession found strong appeal among cinegoers, franchises such as Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Evil Dead Burn proved the power of loyal audience following.

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"There is a Hollywood resurgence in India," said Suniel Wadhwa, cofounder and director at Karmic Films.

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The share of international films in total box office collections slipped from 15% in 2019, to 9% in 2023, before recovering to 10% in 2025, said film trade analysts.

According to Ormax Media, between this January and July, this share has jumped to 17%. "Hollywood films' share in India's box office will cross 20% market share by the end of 2026," said Wadhwa of Karmic Films.

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Producers are confident of the robust momentum sustaining thanks to the release lineup of mass and cult franchise films such as Avengers: Doomsday, Dune: Part Three, Godzilla Minus Zero, and Jumanji: Open World. "Spider-Man is the highest-grossing Hollywood film in India," said producer Rajesh R Nair. "I estimate Avengers: Doomsday will be another blockbuster. It has already crossed $100 million in pre-sales globally. Indians have loved its trailer. Also, there is Dune: Part Three, which will release in the IMAX format, thereby further boosting collection. So, the overall Hollywood share could rise sharply.

Social media and streaming platforms are increasingly playing a key role in expanding the Indian audience base of Hollywood films.