Mumbai: The New Year brings with it a host of promising film releases. 2009 will see a constant flow of content and star oriented films release both from Bollywood as well as Hollywood.
With films like Chandni Chowk To China, Luck By Chance, Dev D, Billu Barber, Dilli 6, New York, Delhi Belly, Paatshala, Kambakth Ishq, London Dreams amongst a huge lineup of others like Blue, My Name is Khan, 3 Idiots, Kites, Dhobi Ghat, Ajab Prem ki Gazab Kahani, Veer and Wanted: Dead or Alive; the Bollywood audience are in for a regular dose of entertainment.
However, Hollywood too is not far behind. This year one will witness the release of a number of Hollywood mega projects. The Angelina Jolie starrer Changeling directed by Clint Eastwood, will release on 16 January along with Chandni Chowk To China. The critically acclaimed film by Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire will also release in January. Brad Pitt’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Will Smith’s Seven Pounds will release alongside Victory and Luck By Chance on 30 January.
The critically acclaimed, Golden Globe nominated film Frost/Nixon, Inkheart and Revolutionary Road will coincide with the release of Dev and Aloo Chaat in Feburary. March on the other hand will see Watchmen release with Shortcut and Kaminey, followed by Golden Globe nominated Clint Eastwood starrer Gran Torino along side Anurag Kashyap’s Gullal. After that Hotel for Dogs will probably be the only Hollywood release in March.
With Paathshala tentatively being the only Bollywood film slated for release in April, it’s probably the Hollywood films that will rule the roost. Movies like Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro starter The Wolf Man, Duplicity starring Julia Roberts, Friday the 13th and animated flick Monsters Versus Aliens are slated to release in April. The highlight in the month of May is certainly going to be Kambakkht Ishq releasing on 29 May; however Salma Hayeks’ Cirque Du Freak, The Uninvited, Dance Flick, Mathew McConaughey’s The Ghosts of Girlfriend’s Past, animated films Tale of Despereaux and Coraline will see themselves release prior to the release of Kambakkht Ishq giving it a good clean run.
Films slated for release in June are Case 39 starring Renee Zellweger, Star Trek 11, State of Play, 17 Again and I Love You Man. However barring 5 and 19 June, the only one English film will release each week; proving to be a good release period for Hindi films. The month of July, on the other hand, will see the latest Harry Potter film release on 17 July. While Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will release the previous week. Other films like The Boat That Rocked, The Hangover and Fighting will also release subsequently.
August to October will see star studded films like Fast and Furious 4, Johnny Depp starrer Public Enemies, GI Joe, Inglorious Bastards and Imagine apart from others like Final Destination 4, Land of the Lost and Orphan. However, with a gap between releases of these English films and some not so exciting movies in between, Hindi films might very well rule the roost.
The end of 2009 (November and December) will see the release of big movies like Dinner for Schmucks, Sherlock Holmes, Leornado Di Caprio and Anthony Hopkins starrer Shutter Island, Matt Damon starrer The Informant, A Thousand Words, Where the Wild Things Are, The Fighter and others like Ninja Assassin and Whiteout.
While the audience will be spoilt for choice, producers will be vying for a good release period and back it by strong content and equally strong marketing activities.
