Hollywood films in India have always enjoyed a loyal fan base, with certain blockbusters leaving an indelible mark on the box office. However, 2024 witnessed a significant decline in their performance. While 2023 recorded an impressive Rs. 950 crore NET, 2024 saw a drop of around 26%, settling at approximately Rs. 700 crore NET. The gross collections further highlight the decline, with 2024 recording Rs. 823 crore, a 27.75% dip from 2023’s Rs. 1,139 crore.
In 2023, films like Oppenheimer (Rs. 128.46 crore), Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Rs. 119.53 crore), and Fast X (Rs. 108.83 crore) dominated the box office, with three releases crossing the Rs. 100 crore mark. Similarly, in 2024, three films – Deadpool & Wolverine, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and Mufasa: The Lion King – achieved this feat. However, the overall number of mid-tier grossers (films earning between Rs. 40–80 crore) shrank significantly, contributing to the decline in collections.
Top 10 Hollywood Grossers of 2024:
Deadpool & Wolverine – Rs. 128.40 crore
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – Rs. 106.42 crore
Mufasa: The Lion King – Rs. 104.90 crore
Venom – The Last Dance – Rs. 43.95 crore
Kung Fu Panda 4 – Rs. 36.47 crore
Dune: Part Two – Rs. 27.86 crore
Inside Out 2 – Rs. 27.67 crore
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – Rs. 27 crore
Moana 2 – Rs. 26 crore
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Rs. 16.48 crore
Among these, only Deadpool & Wolverine managed to break into the All-Time Top Hollywood Grossers in India, ranking ninth overall.
Veteran trade analyst Taran Adarsh spoke about the low year Hollywood had in India in an exclusive chat with Bollywood Hungama. He said, “It’s been a strange year not just for Hollywood but also for Bollywood where releases actually dropped. Even the Hindi films were down in 2024, as compared to 2023. There is no particular reason as such. One can only say that there were certain films which came down. There were certain films that one expected them to release. But I am very surprised by the quantity of Hollywood films going down. Maybe last year was an exception where the number didn’t really match with the previous year. But I hope this year turns out to be better in terms of quality, which is no denying, but also quantity.”
The decline in Hollywood’s box office performance in India is not new. Gross collections have steadily decreased over the past three years
2022: Rs. 1,230 crore
2023: Rs. 1,139 crore (down by 7.39%)
2024: Rs. 823 crore (down by 27.75%)
While 2024 faced a steeper drop, analysts believe that the pipeline of highly anticipated films in 2025 could help Hollywood regain lost ground.
As Hollywood studios reassess their strategies for the Indian market, 2024 serves as a pivotal year of learning. By investing in localized marketing, dubbing efforts, and strategically timing releases, the industry can potentially reverse the downward trend this year.
