Current Scenario In Hollywood

The year 2021 will be about the streaming wars, who will survive, who will thrive and who gets left behind. The movie business, in tatters, will need to spend this year (and likely beyond) tending to its wounded and plotting a different future.

As COVID-19 spread across America, one sector feeling a profound impact was the movie theater business. Most theaters closed for much of 2020, with revenues plummeting. AMC, the nation’s largest chain, has teetered near bankruptcy.

While some federal relief has been available for small cinemas, the future of theaters overall remains as uncertain as the course of the coronavirus itself. Meanwhile, the pandemic has accelerated changes already at play in the entertainment industry.

Streaming services continue to attract customers who prefer the less costly, more convenient option of watching at home — especially on cheaper, better and bigger TVs. Warner Bros. is opening all its films for 2021 simultaneously online and in theaters, a move some fear could hasten theaters’ demise.

Pay TV also is feeling the impact, as financially strapped consumers drop cable, satellite and telecom subscriptions.

Things look gloomy in Hollywood right…

Just hang in there.

Famed Movie Business Strategist, Hirav Shah says- “Growth in movie business can happen, only by the help of a number of forces working together. Astro-Strategy is certainly one of the vital forces”.

Current Scenario At Bollywood

One of the saddest consequences of a global pandemic was the shutting down of houses. For all those movie buffs out there who love to go out and watch the newest theatrical release every weekend, this was a tremendous blow.

Even as life was returning to normalcy, the second outbreak of the coronavirus struck with more venom and more viciousness. In almost all film territory states, there is a lockdown and the lockdown also has been getting postponed endlessly.

Cinemas in many other states of India have been either ordered to shut down or they’ve been asked to revert to less than 50% capacity instead of the cent per cent allowed a few months back. Weekend closure of cinemas seems to be the new in-thing.

Imagine, time was when the trade people used to estimate the lifetime collections of films based on the net box-office collections of the first weekend. That’s because the weekend collections of a film were the most reliable barometer to assess its merits in commercial terms. And today, cinemas have been asked to remain shut during the weekends!

This itself should underline the changing scenario on the film business front. One doesn’t know how long it will take for film collections to return to the pre-COVID levels; it could be a month, two months, six months, even a year. Nobody has the answer — neither the doctors nor the film trade people.

OTTs have become the “new normal” today for Bollywood but through OTTs only, it is impossible for any film’s revenue to reach upto 200 cr, 250 cr or 300 cr as it used to be the case earlier.

Well Prolific Movie Business Astrologer, Hirav Shah to this, quotes, “When something bad happens, you have 3 choices: You can either let it define you, destroy you, or let it strengthen you.”

With Astro-Strategic advice, consultation guidance & direction, now the big film studios, production houses and corporates can see “light” at the end of the tunnel and hence, the movie business can certainly be strengthened.

Starting from mid May and onwards, movie buffs are going to see some of the biggest Bollywood adventures ever. Some of the Bollywood & Hollywood Upcoming Movies in the pipeline by ace actors are going to have a true blue release at the OTTs(for sure) and theatres if situation permits, in the upcoming months.

After a long hiatus, it is now time to mark your calendars as we deliver to you a few of the top announcements to look forward to this year.

Bollywood

1.Radhe

Details: Suspended police officer Radhe (Salman Khan) is called in to eliminate the drug mafia which is claiming lives of young and innocent people in the city, giving the police a bad name. Radhe is a super-efficient cop but his way of working is very different.

His senior is police officer Avinash Abhyankar (Jackie Shroff). Drug lord Rana (Randeep Hooda) is doing all under his command to expand his drug empire and is using all the resources at his command. Will Radhe be able to exterminate Rana and his empire? The story also deals with Radhe’s romantic life. Radhe befriends a model, Diya (Disha Patani), who develops a soft corner for him.

Salman Khan’s stardom is unmatched on multiple levels. The actor has very loyal fans who wait for him to come back on screen.

Meanwhile, Radhe is a good entertainer for the families and masses. Bhai fans will especially love the film. Had the film been released widely in the cinemas during normal times, it would’ve surely netted in the region of Rs. 200 crore.

Release : Released on 13-5-21 on OTT platforms ZeePlex and Zee5 and DTH platforms Tata Sky, D2H, Airtel and Dish TV. It could not be released in a single cinema in India because of the pandemic lockdown and consequent cinema closure orders everywhere. It has opened simultaneously in theatres in North America and the UAE, and in the UK.

2.Gangubai Kathiawadi

Details: Alia Bhatt is one working actress. The petite diva is working with a few of the most important directors in the industry. Gangubai Kathiawadi is one of her dream designs with the veteran filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

The film has had a lot of restrictions ever since it was announced and the shooting started. The pandemic made it even more difficult by making the shooting to a halt amidst the rising number of claims. Alia plays the role of an administrator of a brothel. It is based on the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai written by Hussain Zaidi.

Release: The film is scheduled for release on 30 July 2021.

3.Atrangi Re

Details : Atrangi Re is an upcoming Indian romantic drama film directed by Aanand L. Rai and starring Dhanush, Sara Ali Khan, and Akshay Kumar. Music of the film is given by A R Rahman. Produced by T-Series, Colour Yellow Productions and Cape of Good Films.

It was originally scheduled for worldwide release on 14 February 2021 in theatres, coinciding with Valentine’s Day. However, it was indefinitely postponed due to post-production delays owing to COVID-19 pandemic in India.

The film sees a fresh pairing of Sara and Dhanush onscreen for the first time and it is working to be quite a surprise for their fans. With a leader like Aanand. L Rai on board, one can only assume this to have something very unique to offer.

Release: The film is finally scheduled for release on 6 August 2021.

4.Pathan

Details: Shah Rukh Khan has left his fans in most grief with the longest hiatus he has always taken from the silver screen. It has been more than 2.5 years since he went absent from the big screen and now Pathan is one of the most anticipated action packed films.

Directed by Siddharth Anand, the action packed film also stars Deepika Padukone and John Abraham.

Will SRK be able to reclaim his status as King Khan with ‘Pathan’?

Well, we need to wait and watch…

Release: Later part of 2021 or early 2022.

5.Brahmastra

Details: Brahmastra is an upcoming Indian Hindi-language fantasy action adventure film written and directed by Ayan Mukerji, and produced by Karan Johar. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna Akkineni in pivotal roles and will serve as the first film in a planned trilogy.

Brahmastra is one film that is unique and much-awaited for more than one purpose. Other than being a large-scale production with some of the biggest names in Bollywood like Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Alia Bhatt come below one roof – it is also the sets that saw the flowering of a new love story between the two leads of the film.

The Release of the film has been delayed for the longest time and fans have been anxiously waiting for it to release since 2019. With the pandemic, the film got further suspended last year. Now, we can only hope to see the magic soon on the screens.

Release: Later part of the year. And will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

6.Laal Singh Chaddha

Details : Laal Singh Chaddha is an upcoming Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film written by Atul Kulkarni and directed by Advait Chandan with production by Aamir Khan Productions, Viacom18 Studios and Paramount Pictures.

An adaptation of the 1994 American film Forrest Gump which itself based on Winston Groom’s 1986 novel of the same name, the film stars Mr Perfectionist, Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor.

Now, the team is trying to complete the final 45-day shoot schedule.A lot of action scenes for the film will be canned in the Ladakh and the Kargil area. Naga Chaitanya who has replaced Vijay Sethupati in the film will be joining the unit for the war scenes in the film.

Release: Laal Singh Chaddha was initially announced to release on 25 December 2020, coinciding with Christmas. However, due to production halt owing to COVID-19 pandemic in India, the release was postponed to 24 December 2021, which also falls on the Christmas weekend.

7.Bell Bottom

Details : Bell Bottom is an upcoming Indian Hindi-language spy thriller film directed by Ranjit M Tewari. This film is produced by Pooja Entertainment and Emmay Entertainment. It stars Akshay Kumar as the lead character, with Vaani Kapoor, Lara Dutta and Huma Qureshi in other prominent roles.

Release :The film was wrapped up on 30 September 2020 and film has been postponed indefinitely.

8. Sooryavanshi

Details: Sooryavanshi is an upcoming Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Rohit Shetty and produced by Reliance Entertainment, Rohit Shetty Picturez, Dharma Productions and Cape of Good Films.

The film is the fourth installment of Shetty’s Cop Universe and stars Akshay Kumar as Anti-Terrorism Squad chief DCP Veer Sooryavanshi opposite Katrina Kaif with supporting cast of Jackie Shroff, Gulshan Grover, Abhimanyu Singh, Niharica Raizada, Vivan Bhatena, Sikandar Kher, Nikitin Dheer and Javed Jaffrey.

Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh in extended cameo appearances reprise their roles of Singham and Simmba from the franchise’s previous films.

Release: As of May 2021, the release date of film has been postponed indefinitely due to rise in COVID-19 cases and lockdown in Maharashtra.

Hollywood

1.Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Details: Unlike other titles that haunted the 2020 calendar, Ghostbusters: Afterlife quickly closed up shop in March and moved its spectral activity from July to 2021, but the film’s release date was later pushed further into the upcoming year, settling on June.

Sony’s Jason Reitman-directed entry in the Ghostbusters franchise stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Paul Rudd and Finn Wolfhard.

Release : June 11 is the release date.

2.In the Heights

Details: In the Heights was supposed to be the Tony-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda Broadway musical everyone was talking about this summer, but the film adaptation, directed by Jon M. Chu, was delayed in the spring by almost a year, to June 2021.

The Warner Bros. title, like the rest of the studio’s 2021 slate, is set to stream on HBO Max the same day it hits the big screen. The film stars Anthony Ramos as a bodega owner who has mixed feelings about closing his store and going to his parents’ homeland of the Dominican Republic after he inherits his grandmother’s fortune.

The film also stars Corey Hawkins, Jimmy Smits, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz and Dascha Polanco.

Release : June 18 is the release date.

3.Top Gun: Maverick

Details: Top Gun: Maverick is an upcoming American action drama film directed by Joseph Kosinski from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie and a story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks. It is the sequel to 1986’s Top Gun.

The film stars Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer. Cruise and Kilmer reprise their roles from the first film. It rides the line so perfectly between the nostalgia of the first one and the newness of this next chapter in the story.

Obviously, Tom will knock it out of the park…

Release : In April 2021, the film was delayed to November 19, 2021, amidst Paramount’s shifting of release dates with Mission: Impossible 7, which was delayed from the date. Netflix and Apple TV+ have reportedly tried to purchase the distribution rights to the film, but Paramount has refused to sell them. It will later be streamed on Paramount+, 45 days after its theatrical release.

4.Jungle Cruise

Details: Based on the Disneyland ride of the same name, the Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt starrer in early April sailed out of its summer 2020 release date and into another destination, a year later in 2021.

The Jaume Collet-Serra-directed movie, set in the early 20th century, follows Johnson’s riverboat captain and Blunt’s scientist as they journey into the jungle to find the Tree of Life. Jack Whitehall, Edgar Ramirez, Jesse Plemons and Paul Giamatti round out the cast.

Release : July 30 is the release date.

5.Candyman

Details : Candyman is an upcoming American supernatural slasher film directed by Nia DaCosta and written by Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld and DaCosta.

It is a direct sequel to the 1992 film of the same name and the fourth film in the Candyman film series, based on the short story “The Forbidden” by Clive Barker. The film stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Colman Domingo, along with Tony Todd and Vanessa Estelle Williams reprising their roles from the original film.

Release: Candyman was originally scheduled to release on June 12, 2020, by Universal Pictures, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been pushed to August 27, 2021.

6.Halloween Kills

Details: Halloween Kills is an upcoming American slasher film directed by David Gordon Green and written by Green, Danny McBride and Scott Teems. The film is a sequel to 2018’s Halloween and the twelfth installment in the Halloween franchise.

The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle reprising their roles as Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, with James Jude Courtney also portraying Myers. Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Kyle Richards, Nancy Stephens and Charles Cyphers reprise their roles from the 2018 and 1978 films, with Anthony Michael Hall and Robert Longstreet also joining the cast.

Release :Halloween Kills was originally set to be theatrically released on October 16, 2020. In July 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was delayed to October 15, 2021.

7.Eternals

Details: The star-studded Marvel film, directed by Chloé Zhao, in April moved from its Nov. 6 release date to February 2021, subsequently shifting to later in the year. Eternals stars Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek and Kumail Nanjiani.

Release: Nov. 5 is the release date.

8.West Side Story

Details: Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake was delayed nearly a year, it was announced in September, shifting from Dec. 18, 2020, to Dec. 10 of the following year. The musical stars Ansel Elgort, The Prom‘s Ariana DeBose and newcomer Rachel Zegler.

Release : Dec. 10 is the release date.

Final Thoughts

The success of films always came from the story. Now, the success of films will come from “strategy”. Astro-Strategy is the new survival strategy for movie business…Hirav Shah Concludes.

Who Is Hirav Shah

Hirav Shah is a noted film astrologer and a leading movie business strategist. His advice has helped the businesses of film studios, turnaround and prosper.

Leading celebrities and production houses in India, USA, UK & Canada are in continuous strategic consultation with him.

Being a part of this talented, hardworking industry for 7 years, Hirav understands the struggles faced by artists /studios / production houses / corporates / talent management agencies at each level. This knowledge along with astro principles have provided an impetus, while collaborating with top hollywood & bollywood studios & celebrities.