What 'Housefull 5' needs to earn to be a hit
What's the story
The Akshay Kumar-led ensemble comedy, Housefull 5, has had a solid opening week at the box office.
Despite mixed reviews and allegations of sexism, it is touted to touch ₹200 crore gross worldwide by Friday afternoon. By Thursday, it had collected ₹127 crore nett and ₹152 crore gross in India, and around ₹42 crore from overseas.
However, will the impressive performance be enough to declare it a hit?
Box office success
Film was made on a ₹240 crore budget
Let's look at Housefull 5's box office haul in detail first.
It has reportedly raked in ₹127 crore net in India (₹152 crore gross) within its first week. This makes it the third-highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.
When combined with an estimated ₹42 crore international collection, its global earnings exceed ₹194 crore.
But even if it crosses the ₹200-crore mark globally by Friday afternoon, the comedy film's high production cost, estimated at a whopping ₹240 crore, makes things harder.
Ensemble cast
Kumar's films usually have lower budgets and smaller casts
One of the key factors that sets Housefull 5 apart from Kumar's previous films is its scale.
The film boasts an ensemble cast of 30+ notable actors, including Abhishek Bachchan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Riteish Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, and Jackie Shroff.
The high production costs can be attributed to this star-studded lineup and the film's extravagant shoot aboard a luxury cruise ship.
Profitability concerns
Producers have already recovered costs through rights sales
Despite its high earnings, Housefull 5's profitability remains uncertain due to its exorbitant budget.
Trade insiders told Hindustan Times that the film needs to surpass a net collection of ₹240 crore or exceed a worldwide gross of ₹300 crore to be considered a clean hit.
However, producers will most likely be able to recover their money through multi-crore sales of satellite, music, and digital rights.
Film synopsis
'Housefull 5' has 2 different endings
Housefull 5 revolves around a murder on a cruise ship where a wealthy billionaire leaves his fortune to his successor, Jolly.
The catch is that there are three Jollys on the cruise - Kumar, Deshmukh, and Bachchan.
A doctor who can identify the real Jolly is also murdered, making all three and their girlfriends suspects in the crime.
The film has been released with two different endings to attract more viewers.