The success of a film is decided by many factors – reviews, international presence, awards and a lasting impression on audiences. But above all, during its theatrical run, what matters the most is how much money it has made or the tickets sold at the box office. This phenomenon is not limited to India, but a standard measure for gauging how a film did around the world.
While we witnessed the historical success of Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar franchise, which broke the tally, threw away benchmarks, and discarded them to a far-off land, Hollywood also helped generations of fans relive Michael Jackson’s legacy, while attracting young fans with animated hits like Hoppers, The Super Mario sequel, and Toy Story 5.
Dhurandhar and beyond: The Q1 clash
The opening of 2026 was rather eventful. As fans in India waited for Dhar’s Dhurandhar: The Revenge, no other release dared get in its way. Despite some of the lowest release rates of the film industry, the heavyweight managed to suppress them all. The spy-thriller sequel finally released in March 2026 and zoomed past the opening week with a Rs 700 crore mark, as per Sacnilk data.
And in less than a month, it entered the Rs 1000 crore club, becoming the first Hindi film to cross the benchmark across all languages. It wasn’t just a domestic win; it crossed Baahubali in China, minted over $25 million in North America, and became the highest-grossing Indian film in Germany.
With over a 100-day run at the box office, Dhurandhar: The Revenge did not break any records; rather, it set them for others to break. Bollywood still struggles to match up, as it soared past the records of Pushpa 2, KGF Chapter 2, and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.
Collision of the giants
As Dhurandhar: The Revenge dominated months of box office showdowns, early April saw a bit of a slowdown. However, globally, came ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, which delivered one of the biggest opening Easter weekends across 82 territories. According to Box Office Mojo, the film grossed over $1 billion worldwide and was released on over 4500 screens.
But then came ‘Michael’ – a biopic with actors from his family immortalising parts of the king of pop’s story – Michael Jackson. With the titular role played by the superstar’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, generations of fans walked into theatres and relived the memories of their childhood. It arrived, and it outshone the chatter of early reviews. Overall, Michael grossed $978.6 million, with over $600 million gained from international screens alone. While it only received a 39% on the Rotten Tomatoes score, audiences loved it, fans relished it, and it brought together fans across generations – a subtle nod to Jackson’s worldwide following.
Meanwhile, Ryan Gosling’s ‘Project Hail Mary‘ was making the rounds and quietly transforming into the year’s third-biggest performer. While it didn’t surpass the animated Mario sequel, the Gosling starrer made over $690 million worldwide. The 9-figure collection for the sci-fi thriller for Gosling in 2026.
The days of the underdog
May did not bring any major big-starrer to Hollywood. With Bollywood giving mediocre films at the box office like Pati Patni Aur Who Do, Ek Din, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, Reteish Deshmukh’s Raja Shivaji was saved by the buck.
Curry Baker’s much-awaited ‘Obsession ‘, made on just a $750,000 budget, earned over $220 million and became the first movie since E.T. to increase ticket sales in both its second and third weekends outside the holiday season. Ruled by some animated marvels, 2026 also brought Pixar’s ‘Hoppers’, which found solid footing and collected nearly $400 million worldwide.
In the fashion world, May means Met Gala, and the makers of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2‘ cashed in on just that. With the original cast, Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, the film returned with a sequel 20 years later. While there was a massive buzz around it and fans across generations were waiting for its release, it could not create a Michael moment. Making over $688 million globally, it restricted itself to Rs 34 crore in India. The franchise, on the other hand, from 2006, entered the billionaire club.
What the second half holds
As 2026 marks its comfortable entry into the second-half of 2026, Indians are largely waiting for two big releases. Shah Rukh Khan’s action-packed ‘King ‘, which brings Deepika Padukone and the debut of his daughter Suhana to the big screen. However, competing closely is Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana: Part I, which became IMDb’s most anticipated Indian film.
It carries a VFX budget of over Rs 450 crore alone and brings together a cast with Sai Pallavi, Yash, and Sunny Deol. With global comparisons, music legends Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman will be collaborating to lend the movie its symphonies. Given Dhurandhar’s history-shattering stride, the only question that remains is who will beat it first?