The Nun II Faces Screen Shortage as Theatres Prioritize Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawan’ for Most Showings
The industry, trade, and moviegoers are eagerly awaiting the release of Jawan, starring superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The film’s advance ticket sales are breaking records, further fueling the excitement for the action thriller. However, Jawan is not the only major release on September 7. The Nun 2 will also be released in theaters on the same day. But with Jawan’s unprecedented response from advance ticket sales, the Hollywood horror film is struggling to find screens.
According to a source from Bollywood Hungama, the Warner Bros. team is in constant touch with multiplex chains and other theaters. They are aware that Jawan is a major competitor, so they are requesting limited screenings. However, many theater owners are not interested even then.
The source added that Warner Bros. was one of the first studios to release films in theaters in 2020, when most producers chose to wait for things to return to normal or release their films directly on OTT platforms. At the time, the studio released not only big-budget films like Tenet (2020) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), but also smaller films.
This was done in the best interests of theaters, so that they would have content to play and audiences would be encouraged to return to the habit of watching movies in theaters. And now, the same studio that supported theaters during difficult times is being turned away by them.
The source also added, “And it’s not like The Nun II will not find an audience. It’s a huge franchise. The previous part, The Nun (2018), collected Rs. 8 crores on day 1 and had lifetime earnings of Rs. 46.46 crores. The Nun II can also have healthy collections if it’s given a chance. Just last month, the monstrous blockbuster Gadar 2 set the box office on fire. But it wasn’t the only release. OMG 2 was also released on the same day and did huge business. Similarly, Evil Dead Rise, also backed by Warner Bros, clashed with Salman Khan’s Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan on Eid 2023 and collected Rs. 36.50 crores. The same model can be successfully applied with Jawan and The Nun II as well.”
