Hollywood is storming the Indian box office, setting new records
Brand New Day has also become the first non-Indian film to earn over ₹500 crore in India. We’re falling off our own lists, says Deepanjana Pal. The masked superhero is the quintessential little guy.
We’re falling off our own lists, says Deepanjana Pal. The masked superhero is the quintessential little guy.
He lives in Queens, is not rich, has no flashy gadgets. Even after an upgrade of some cutting-edge technology, his uniform looks like a onesie topped off with a homemade mask.
What Happened
Subsequent films in the franchise did well too. But they’re all small, baby potatoes when placed next to …Brand New Day.
Brand New Day has also become the first non-Indian film to earn over ₹500 crore in India.
Yet in 2002, Spider-Man (then played by Tobey Maguire) made history when it became the first Hollywood film to earn more than $1 million in India.
The superhero film recorded the biggest opening ever for a Hollywood production in India, when it crossed ₹72.50 crore (or about $7.6 million) on its first day.
Key Details
From a Hollywood perspective, these earnings are tiny. It is from the point of view of Indian producers that Hollywood’s improved earnings in India become noteworthy.
By contrast, Alpha, one of this year’s most-anticipated Hindi films, starring Alia Bhatt and Bobby Deol, earned ₹11.10 crore on its opening day.
In its first 10 days, …Brand New Day became the second-highest earner of 2026 in India, behind Dhurandhar: The Revenge and ahead of Border 2.
It has since become the first non-Indian title to earn more than ₹500 crore (or about $52 million) here.
Why It Matters
Meanwhile, Indian films, particularly offerings from Bollywood, have struggled both critically and commercially. Slapstick comedy has seen a resurgence, with films such as Dhamaal 4 and Bhooth Bangla raking it in too.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has so far earned over ₹200 crore (about $21 million) and is the 10th-highest-earning film of the year so far in India.
The stupendously successful Dhurandhar: The Revenge accounts for the bulk of Bollywood’s box-office earnings in 2026.
What Reports Say
Coverage of the story so far points to:
Continued reporting by Hindustan Times as more details emerge
