The battle for coveted IMAX screen space in India has intensified, with Hollywood films *Project Hail Mary* and *The Super Mario Galaxy Movie* now locked in a fierce competition with the Indian release *Dhurandhar The Revenge*. This comes as *Project Hail Mary* enters its crucial second week, continuing its struggle for premium showcases despite strong demand.
Project Hail Mary's Initial IMAX Hurdles Bollywood Hungama previously highlighted the significant challenges faced by Sony Pictures in securing IMAX screens for *Project Hail Mary*. On its release day, March 26, the film managed to secure shows in only 6 out of 34 IMAX screens across India. Thanks to pressure from Bollywood Hungama's reporting, Sony Pictures' relentless efforts, and fan demand, exhibitors eventually relented. From March 27, all IMAX theatres began playing the film, with Eros Cinema even scheduling pre-dawn shows due to overwhelming interest.
New Challengers Enter the Fray for Second Week IMAX Shows
Just as it seemed *Project Hail Mary*'s IMAX woes might be over, new complications have arisen. As the film enters its second week (from Friday, April 3), Sony Pictures is once again negotiating for sufficient IMAX slots. Adding to the complexity are two major contenders:
• Dhurandhar The Revenge: Distributors for this film are also demanding more IMAX shows, citing its exceptional performance in the premium format.
• The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: This new Hollywood release from Universal Pictures, which saw encouraging occupancy in its selected paid previews, has also entered the race for IMAX screen time.
The three-way tussle for screen allocation is expected to be resolved by Thursday night.
Current IMAX Booking Status Snapshot
As of 3:00 pm on April 2, bookings for the upcoming weekend remained limited across India:
• Mumbai: Only Miraj IMAX Wadala and Eros Churchgate had opened bookings for Friday.
* Miraj IMAX Wadala: 3 shows for *Project Hail Mary*, 2 for *The Super Mario Galaxy Movie*, 1 for *Dhurandhar The Revenge*.
* Eros Churchgate: Only opened plans for a 6:55 pm show of *Dhurandhar The Revenge* and an 11:30 pm show of *Project Hail Mary*.
• South India:
* Cinepolis Center Square, Kochi: *Dhurandhar The Revenge* will no longer play from April 3. *Project Hail Mary* will have four shows, while *The Super Mario Galaxy Movie* gets two.
* Broadway Cinemas Coimbatore: Two shows allotted to *Project Hail Mary*.
* PVR Lulu Trivandrum: Mysteriously commenced bookings for one show of *Project Hail Mary* on Saturday and four shows on Sunday, but none for Friday.
In total, only 5 out of 34 IMAX cinemas had opened weekend bookings at the time of this report.
Industry Insider Expresses Disappointment An industry insider voiced frustration over the ongoing situation, stating, "*Project Hail Mary* is filmed for IMAX. Every IMAX show in the country since last Thursday has been house full or nearly full. Even weekday morning shows have registered great occupancy. It's clear that there’s tremendous demand and yet, Sony has to struggle even after the film has proved its worth. It's deeply disappointing." The struggle continues for these highly anticipated films to secure adequate showcasing in the premium IMAX format.
