Hollywood superheroes won the Indian box office in 2017

Wonder WomanBe it Wonder Woman SpiderMan Thor or Hulk stories about superheroes battling supervillains in a fantasy world turned out to be the hit formula for Hollywood at the Indian box office this year Even as Indian actresses Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone didnt quite live up to box office expectations around their Hollywood debuts Baywatch and xXx Return of Xander Cage respectively movies like Wonder Woman SpiderMan Homecoming and Thor Ragnarok captured the audiences imagination and set the cash registers ringingHollywoods 2017 report card as industry expert Rajesh Thadani says was decent but not overthetop I am sure it could have done better Bollywood wasnt great this year except for Baahubali 2 The Conclusion Overall Hollywood helped a bit at the Indian box office but not as per expectations Thadani told IANS Priyankas and Deepikas films didnt do that great Not as expected he added Girish Johar film and trade business analyst echoed the sentimentBe it Israeli actress Gal Gadots avatar as Wonder Woman or Hugh Jackmans final turn as Wolverine in Logan or beloved superheroes Thor and Hulk getting together to battle against a supervillain in Thor Ragnarok or superheroes from a different universe in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 2017 was the year of superheroes at the box office in India The second part of the 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy which brought back Chris Pratt as StarLord Zoe Saldana as Gamora Dave Bautista as Drax Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot and Bradley Cooper voicing Rocket Raccoon opened in India on May 5 It grossed Rs 2257 crore as per trade sourcesMarvel Studios Thor Ragnarok opened in India on November 3 in English Hindi Tamil and Telugu and grossed Rs 7660 crore According to data compiled by online ticketing platform BookMyShow Thor Ragnarok was the topgrossing film of the year in English The Marvel Cinematic Universe has sparked the imagination of a whole new generation of fans in India 2017 has been an exceptional year with Guardians of the Galaxy and one of the biggest Hollywood releases in India with Thor Ragnarok said Bikram Duggal Executive Director and Head Studios Disney IndiaKamal Gianchandani CEO PVR Pictures said 2017 was a year of hits and misses We had some complete surprises There were some really big successes and some disappointments if we talk about Hollywood But overall we at PVR are happier than dissatisfied Gianchandani told IANS Films which had potentials to become blockbusters didnt do that well and a lot of people raised concerns with these franchises But we had Fast amp Furious 8 Wonder Woman which is not a franchise yet but again a DC character which turned out much bigger than expectedOverall if we remove some from the equation the remaining year had been fairly aggressive as far as box office numbers are concerned Gianchandani added If we open the number chart for Hollywood films at the Indian box office this year then according to Warner Bros Pictures India Wonder Woman which was appreciated the world over for introducing a successful franchise revolving around a female superhero with the vision of a woman director amassed over Rs 32 croreOther films which made the year remarkable for the banner were Dunkirk Rs 359 crore Kong Rs 406 crore Geostorm Rs 681 crore and Justice League Rs 516 crore Deepikas xXx Return of Xander Cage an 85 million ParamountViacom Inc release for the promotion of which Hollywood actor Vin Diesel came down to India too turned out to be the best box office bet for the banner with collection figures standing at Rs 50 croreplus Still trade gurus say it didnt match expectationsFor Viacom18 Motion Pictures Transformers The Last Knight which released in India on June 30 was also a winner by minting over Rs 30 crore followed by Priyankas maiden Hollywood project Baywatch standing at over Rs 14 crore Tom Hollands first solo movie as the web slinger with SpiderMan Homecoming a story woven with hints of diversity and a desi twist with Hollywoods Iron Man Robert Downey Jr in a kurta pyjama at a traditional Indian wedding was the highest grossing film from the Sony Pictures Entertainment stableFilms like Logan with collections at Rs 5042 crore Boss Baby Rs 2060 crore War for the Planet of the Apes Rs 2589 crore Kingsman The Golden Circle Rs 2088 crore and Murder on the Orient Express Rs 1155 crore made 2017 worthwhile at the box office for Fox Star Studios In the department for the shrills and thrills films like Annabelle Creation and IT fared well in the report cardThor Wonder Woman and other horror franchises did well in India So overall there was an increment in box office business It was a good time for Hollywood films Johar said What about the road ahead Duggal said 2018 will be another spectacular year at the cinemas as we bring a diverse slate of movies from superheroes to fantasies to action adventures Gianchandani also said the future for Hollywood films looks bright in India