BY SUNIT JANGIR

Los Angeles, April 2 - John Wick is set to return for at least one more time as Lionsgate has officially confirmed the fifth installment of this action thriller franchise at the CinemaCon event 2025. ## Taking to the CinemaCon stage on Tuesday morning, Lionsgate announced John Wick 5 with star Keanu Reeves set to return as the nunchuck-wielding hitman along with director Chad Stahelski. The story for the movie has been finalized. ## Meanwhile, the action franchise is expanding with an animated prequel film and a Caine-centric standalone adventure from director-star Donnie Yen. Additionally, there is the spin-off, Ballerina starring Ana de Armas slated to hit the screens on June 6. ## The fourth instalment, John Wick: Chapter 4 of this decade-long franchise, was released in 2023 and grossed over $440 million at the worldwide box office, becoming the highest-grossing movie of the series. In the movie, John Wick seemingly died as it ended with Ian McShane's Winston and Laurence Fishburne's Bowery King standing at a grave showing Wick's name.## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, April 1 - After the underwhelming first two days of around 55 crores net collection, superstar Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna's action drama Sikandar has shown a much better hold than expected on its third day at the domestic box office. ## The AR Murugadoss directorial is showing a drop of around 30% from the Eid day, as early estimates suggest the collection to be in the range of 19-20 crores net on the first Tuesday. It has the benefit of the Basi Eid Holiday today as total collection is around 74 crores after 3 days. ## The audience word of mouth is poor, so there was the fear among the trade that the movie might collapse after Eid day, but the good hold has reignited some hope for the makers.## The real test for Sikandar will begin from Wednesday, though it is now certain to enter the 100 crores club as there is not much competition leading to the second weekend. The lower-than-expected first two days have almost sealed but confirmed the film's fate, but it can still manage to reach a respectable lifetime total by showing similar hold going forward. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK TEAM

Mumbai, April 1 - The third installment of the iconic Hera Pheri franchise is one of the most anticipated films, and the buzz skyrocketed after it was confirmed recently that director Priyadarshan would return to helm it.## Hera Pheri 3, which will mark the return of Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Paresh Rawal, is supposed to start by the end of this year. While the fans are excited about it, director Priyadarshan has a disappointing update regarding the start time of this much-awaited threequel. ## The recent interview of the director confirmed that Hera Pheri 3 is unlikely to start before the end of next year and this is opposite to the public expectation. During an interview with ETV Bharat, Priyadarshan shared that he plans to start writing the film by next year. ## The director is currently shooting for the Akshay Kumar-fronted Bhooth Bangla which releases in April next year, and Hera Pheri 3 will be the follow-up for the filmmaker. "I plan to start work, start writing Hera Pheri 3 sometime next year. It is going to be very challenging to make the third part because there will be too many expectations", the director said. ## The director accepted that writing Hera Pheri 3 is going to be a challenge, as a lot of things have changed since the first Hera Pheri, which came 25 years ago in 2000. "Characters have gotten older, and accordingly, people should believe... these are important things. I am taking it as a challenge. Let's see how it works", he expressed.## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Los Angeles, April 1 - Sony Pictures has confirmed the official title of Marvel's Spider-Man 4 starring Tom Holland in the titular role at CinemaCon on Monday. ## During Sony Pictures' presentation at CinemaCon, Holland appeared in a video clip to announce that the 4th Spider-Man movie, led by him, is titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day and it is set to hit theaters on July 31, 2026.## The movie will be directed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton, and the filmmaker promised "a ride that we haven't really seen before" with this upcoming film. The title refers to a 2008 storyline that takes place after a universe-altering event in which everyone forgot who Spider-Man was. ## The last Spider-Man movie, led by Holland, was 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, which grossed over $1.9 billion at the global box office. Directed by Jon Watts, the movie also became the highest-grossing Spider-Man title in the long-running franchise. ## The shoot of Spider-Man: Brand New Day will kick off in the next few months. It's been announced that Stranger Things star Sadie Sink has joined the cast of the highly anticipated sequel, though her role remains unclear. ## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Kochi, March 31 - Superstar Mohanlal's Malayalam action thriller L2: Empuraan has stormed the box office to score the biggest extended 4-day opening weekend for an Indian movie of 2025 and the biggest ever for a Malayalam title by a huge margin. ## Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, Empuraan scored approximately 176 crores gross collections globally and became the third highest-grossing Mollywood film of all-time during its 4-day weekend. Chhaava had grossed approximately 165 crores worldwide in the traditional 3-day weekend. ## During its opening weekend, the Mollywood blockbuster grossed over 100 crores at the overseas box office, which made it the first ever Malayalam film to do so. Domestically, it minted approximately 69 crores, including around 43 crores gross in the home state, Kerala. ## Meanwhile, Empuraan has topped 200 crores worldwide on its 5th day, where the movie benefited due to the Eid holiday. It has become only the second Malayalam film of all time after Manjummel Boys (241 crores gross) and the fastest to breach this milestone. It is likely to become the biggest grosser before the first week ends. ## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, March 31 - Superstar Salman Khan's action drama Sikandar has some growth on Eid day, but overall collection remains underwhelming. The movie was expected to rock the Eid weekend, but the poor audience reception has made a huge dent in its progress. ## After scoring approximately 26 crores net collection on the first day, which was Sunday, Sikandar witnessed a minimal growth of around 10% on Eid to score an estimated 28-29 crores net, pushing total collection to around 54-55 crores after 2 days. ## The things could have gone extremely wrong had there not been the Eid holiday, which was the main reason for the whatever growth film's scored on its second day. The Eid factor might help the movie in the next couple of days, otherwise, things are not looking good for the film. ## Apart from the little festive advantage, Sikandar has not much competition with new releases, but it might prove beneficial, but it is easier said than done, as audience reception is not favourable. It needs to be seen how it performs going forward. ## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Mumbai, March 30 - The industry's worst nightmare might be coming to hunt them as superstar Salman Khan's action drama Sikandar has fared below the trade expectations at the domestic box office on its first day, which was Sunday and a day before Eid holiday. ## Sikandar had a decent pre-sales, but it was expected to have a strong response in the spot bookings due to the star power and being a mass entertainer; however, the poor audience reception didn't help its cause. According to early estimates, the movie is expected to open in the range of 25-26 crores net, something the pre-sales trend suggested. ## The first day box office trend of Sikandar is not healthy, especially given the fact that it was a Sunday release, followed by Eid holiday. The final numbers of the first day might go a little higher, depending on the performance in the smaller centres, and also there is a holiday tomorrow, which might give some boost in the night shows, but still, it is an average start. ## Sikandar has to score big tomorrow on Eid to cover the lost ground, and then will have to pray for a miracle that the poor audience reception doesn't come too early to hunt it during the weekdays.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK TEAM

Hyderabad, March 30 - Director Atlee's love affair with double roles of his lead actors is set to be continued in his next film with superstar Allu Arjun, and their combination is already creating a huge buzz in the trade as well as among the fans. ## Over the years, Atlee has presented his lead hero in double roles, be it in Mersal, Bigil or Jawan, and this has been a hallmark of his filmography. According to the report by Peepingmoon.com, the blockbuster is continuing this trend of dual roles with Allu Arjun's film as well. ## It is said that the Pushpa star will play twin brothers in Atlee’s next mega-scale action-packed spectacle set in a parallel universe. Allu Arjun will adopt two distinct looks to portray what would mark his first double role in his acting career.## The film, produced by Sun Pictures, was supposed to feature two heroes, but due to things failing against Atlee's wish, the script has undergone significant revisions in the past few months. As per the report, the reincarnation angle, which was the original idea, has been removed, and the narrative now centers solely on Allu Arjun, with both key roles essayed by him. ## The makers are expected to lock three heroines for the movie, and they are planning to bring together actors from both the North and South Indian film industries to create a pan-India cinematic experience. The film is reportedly getting announced on April 8 and the promo for the same is likely to be shot in the next few days. The film will reportedly start rolling in August or September this year for a 2026 release. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK TEAM

Kochi, March 30 - Superstar Mohanlal's action thriller is doing excellent business in the home state, Kerala and at the overseas box office and is already one of the biggest Malayalam grossers of all time. However, the movie has come under fire amid its box office dominance for allegedly displaying an anti-Hindu agenda. ## According to the latest reports, the producers have decided to re-edit and re-censor the film after massive backlash and protests. It is said that the scene related to the Gujarat Riots has been cut heavily, and the name of the antagonist has also been reportedly changed. ## There are as many as 17 cuts, including muting some parts related to the National Investigation Agency, in the new version of the film, which has been censored by a new board. The latest version will reportedly start playing in theatres Monday or Tuesday. ## Amid the growing tensions, it is being reported in the Malayalam media that superstar Mohanlal is upset with the makers over the controversy. It is said that the actor didn't watch the full movie before and has now reportedly asked the team to remove the scenes that caused the controversy. ## Meanwhile, Empuraan has crossed 150 crores gross collection at the worldwide box office at the time of writing this piece. It will emerge as the second biggest Malayalam grosser of all-time at the end of the day (4th day) and is likely to secure the first position before the first week ends by topping Manjummel Boys (241 crores gross). ## Stay tuned...

BY SUNIT JANGIR

Kochi, March 29 - There is no stopping superstar Mohanlal's action thriller L2: Empuraan, which is breaching new milestones with each passing day at the global box office, where it is nearing 150 crores gross collection. ## Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, Empuraan became the fastest Malayalam film to top 100 crores gross globally, taking just 2 days to do it, and now, it has shattered one more major milestone for Mollywood by becoming the highest-grossing film at the overseas box office. ## As per early trade reports, the movie has grossed $10 million (85+ crores gross) collection internationally in its first three 3 days, and with this, it has beaten Manjummel Boys' final overseas collection of 73.50 crores gross approx to become the biggest Malayalam grosser ever outside India. ## Empuraan is set to become the first 100 crores Malayalam grosser internationally by Sunday (4 days), and this is a milestone to savour for Mollywood. Worldwide, it has scored around 140 crores gross in three days and by tomorrow, it will become the second biggest Malayalam grosser of all-time. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK TEAM

Mumbai, March 29 - Superstar Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna's hugely-awaited action drama Sikandar is all set to hit the big screen on March 30, Sunday. The film, directed by AR Murugadoss, is releasing a day before Eid which falls on Monday, March 31. ## Sikandar is the first full-fledged release for Salman since Tiger 3 on Diwali 2023, and the makers are treating it as a big opportunity to score at the box office. According to the reports, Sajid Nadiadwala's production is set to be the biggest Bollywood release in India. ## It is said that Sikandar will be released on over 5500 screens across the country and will get 22,000+ shows, which is the highest ever for a Bollywood title. Currently, there are over 19K shows listed online, and around 3K more shows will be added in theatres where online booking is not available. ## The advance booking sales of Sikandar have been progressing at a slow pace, though it has picked up some momentum in the last day before release. As of 8 PM on March 29, the film has sold around 300K tickets worth around 9 crores gross (without block seats), which is currently the second biggest of 2025, behind Chhaava.## Though the advances of Sikandar are currently lagging behind Chhaava, it still has a chance to come close with a little push. Chhaava had a regular Friday release while Sikandar releases on Sunday, which gives it an advantage when it comes to spot booking, especially with the holiday on Monday. ## Chhaava opened with 31 crores net collection in Hindi, and Sikandar, which has bigger star power and a festive release, is likely to match or top this recent mega blockbuster. While the pre-sales trend indicates 25-30 crores net opening, Sikandar is expected to have strong spot booking, which is likely to take it past 30+ crores net and beyond, which is a good start. ## The film would have benefited more had it been a traditional Friday release, though the opening might not have been as big as its Sunday launch. Still, if the movie gets a positive reception, then it is sure to become one of the biggest Bollywood grossers of the year. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK TEAM

Kochi, March 28 - There were 9 Malayalam movies to earn 100+ crores gross at the worldwide box office, and superstar Mohanlal's record-breaking action thriller L2: Empuraan has become the 10th to achieve this milestone faster than all other films. ## Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, the mega-budgeted sequel to Lucifer had a gigantic opening of around 67.50 crores, and it remained excellent on the second day to cross 100 crores globally. With this, it has become the fastest to hit the milestone, beating Aadujeevitham, which took 9 days. ## Empuraan has grossed around 40 crores at the domestic box office, while overseas collection is 60+ crores gross through Friday (2 days). It is the first Malayalam movie of the year to score at the box office century worldwide. For Mohanlal, it is his third 100 crore grosser after Pulimurugan and Lucifer. Sukumaran, as director, delivered his second century after Lucifer.## By Saturday, the film is likely to become the 5th biggest Malayalam grosser of all time and will look to become number 2 by Sunday. The Eid holiday falls on Monday, which gives the movie a chance to emerge as the biggest Mollywood grosser of all time within the first week, beating Manjummel Boys' lifetime worldwide total of 241 crores gross. ## Stay tuned...