'Housefull 5' eyes big debut; earns ₹9cr in advance booking
What's the story
The much-awaited Hindi film Housefull 5, starring Akshay Kumar, has sold around 1,25,952 tickets for its opening day in top national chains like PVR Inox and Cinepolis as of Thursday noon.
The film is set to release on Friday. However, the advance booking figures are not as impressive as expected for a franchise that thrives on comedy and star power.
Collection forecast
'Housefull 5' opening day collection prediction
Housefull 5 has earned ₹3.98cr at the time of writing; with block seats, this number goes up to ₹9cr.
Still, it is weak as per expectations. For example, Kamal Haasan's Thug Life, which premiered on Thursday, had earned around ₹14cr in advance booking.
The opening day collection prediction has now been revised to ₹18-20 crore net, subject to strong spot bookings on Friday.
This is a significant dip from earlier expectations, which were based on the franchise's previous successes.
Franchise comparison
Comparison with 'Housefull 4'
The Housefull franchise is known for attracting family audiences with its slapstick humor and ensemble cast. However, the advance booking figures for Housefull 5 are concerning.
The last installment in the series, Housefull 4, had much stronger advance bookings even during the pre-Diwali period.
This raises questions about whether Housefull 5 can live up to the legacy of its predecessors.
Box office goal
Will 'Housefull 5' be able to beat 'Housefull 4' numbers?
The immediate target for Housefull 5 is to surpass the India net collection of its predecessor, Housefull 4, which earned ₹205.5 crore net. Surpassing this mark would prove that the franchise still has potential.
However, to achieve a hit verdict, it will need to maintain steady performance through the first week and beyond.
With a release on over 5,000 screens across India, it has the potential to do so if audiences respond positively.