Hollywood
Dhurandhar 2 vs Toxic Box Office Battle: Ryan Gosling's Project Hail Mary Set For High-Stakes Three-Way Clash On March 20
BY SACNILK
The highly anticipated space sci-fi Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, is reportedly heading toward a massive three-way box office clash on March 20. According to an exclusive report by Variety India, the film is maintaining its original release schedule despite conflicting reports from major cinema chains. This setup places the Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directorial in direct competition with two Indian heavyweights: Yash's Toxic and Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar 2, both of which are eyeing a dominant share of screens starting March 19. There is currently significant confusion regarding the film's official release window in India. While ticketing platforms like BookMyShow and District continue to list March 20 as the premiere date, the PVR-Inox standalone app has updated the release to April 3. Adding to the discrepancy, PVR-Inox recently released a social media trailer featuring Project Hail Mary with the March 20 date. However, the cinema chain later clarified to Variety India that the promotional video was locked before a decision was made to postpone the release to next month. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The primary reason for this potential shift is the intense battle for premium screen formats. Project Hail Mary is a high-budget spectacle Filmed for IMAX, but it faces a severe shortage of available screens due to the simultaneous arrival of Toxic and Dhurandhar 2. With only 34 functional IMAX screens nationwide, industry trackers estimate that nearly 30 percent of the total screen count—specifically those under the PVR-Inox banner—might be unavailable to the Hollywood biggie if it sticks to the March 20 date. This could significantly impact the film's box office potential in the premium segment. Based on the best-selling novel by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary follows the story of Dr. Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, an astronaut on a desperate solo mission to save Earth and the sun from a catastrophic threat. Despite the logistical challenges and the massive screen dominance expected from the Indian releases, a source close to the film's India promotions team confirmed to Variety India that the March 20 date remains unchanged for now. Fans are now closely watching whether the film will hold its ground or move to April to secure a wider theatrical footprint.
