Christmas is getting increasingly crowded, raising concerns about the box office. Nagarjuna’s announcement of King 100 has also led to confusion, as Shah Rukh Khan’s King is slated for release during the Christmas period.
Adding to the competition are major Hollywood releases, with Dune arriving just a few days before Christmas and Avengers also scheduled to hit screens around December 18. With several big-ticket films lined up, the period could witness a tough multi-way clash at the box office.
Reacting to the potential clash as well as the similarity in titles, trade analyst Girish Johar said, “This is quite astonishing, to be very honest. We all know that biggies are lined up. The Southern market is very heavily dominated by Hollywood also. So, it’ll be a multi-way clash because there’s Avengers. There are two big Hollywood releases coming, then there is Shah Rukh Khan’s King also, which is planned. And then, if something of big stature like Nagarjuna’s King 100 also comes, it will be a multi-way clash, honestly. And all are big films. I’m not saying anyone is small. I really hope we have time, and that better sense prevails.”
When asked whether similar film titles could confuse audiences, given that actor-producer Shivrajkumar also has a film titled Monster, while Salman Khan has a film with the same title, and there are now King and King 100, Johar said, “I think right now this is not the final title for King 100. It probably is the 100th film of Nagarjuna, this is what I feel. The title is still awaited. And I’m quite confident that both big films may be avoiding the clash with all the Hollywood biggies, and also they’ll be eager about not having similar titles because it would definitely add confusion in audiences’ minds.”
On whether the situation could be “suicidal” for the films, or whether the Hindi films should move their release dates, Johar said, “I think they may move because earlier also they have done that. It’s a little early to say. We have 3-4 months right now, so let’s see.”
