It is no surprise that Indian audiences have long harbored a strong enthusiasm for Hollywood franchises, drawn to their grand narratives, advanced special effects, and universal themes. From the wizarding world of Harry Potter to the thrilling world-saving spectacles of Marvel and DC superheroes, these franchises have consistently captivated the Indian audience.
Among these popular franchises, the Monsterverse has emerged as a dark horse, gradually but steadily building a dedicated following in the country. With its epic showdowns between legendary characters Godzilla and King Kong, the Monsterverse offers a unique blend of spectacle and nostalgia, which resonates powerfully with the Indian theatrical audience, contributing to the expanding appeal of the franchise in the Indian market.
The 2024 film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was the third-highest grossing Hollywood film in India, only behind Mufasa: The Lion King and Deadpool & Wolverine. See our annual box office report for more.
The Monsterverse franchise struggled in the Indian market initially, with early films like Kong: Skull Island (2017) and Godzilla: King of The Monsters (2019) failing to resonate significantly amid the dominance of Bollywood and other Hollywood superhero films. The franchise's fortunes in India changed significantly with Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), which cleverly merged the iconic characters Godzilla and Kong, capitalizing on their legacies and featuring epic alliances and battles. This shift further continued with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), which built on the successful elements of team dynamics and a formidable, shared adversary, enhancing the franchise's appeal. By integrating larger-than-life storytelling and blending the storylines of two characters, the Monsterverse successfully transitioned from initial disinterest to widespread acceptance in India, establishing a solid fan base and becoming a notable cinematic draw.
The rising popularity of the franchise is evident in how the box office (both first-day and lifetime) for these films has grown in India over time.
In this analysis, we examine underlying factors that explain the growth of the Monsterverse franchise in India.
Creature-based content holds a significant allure in India, an experience rooted deeply in the country's rich tapestry of mythology and folklore, celebrated through tales of magnificent beasts and mythical entities in various formats. This inherent fascination translates into the cinematic realm, evident from the beloved alien Jaadu in Koi Mil Gaya, to the mythic beings in TV serials like Naagin, and the sinister creature in Tumbbad, or the more recent ones like Munjya and Sarkata, from the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe. Such narratives tap into the cultural connection that provides a familiar yet thrilling exploration of themes such as good versus evil, and nature versus humanity. Therefore, the growing impact of Hollywood's Monsterverse, with its colossal creatures like Godzilla and King Kong, resonates with the Indian audience's connection and comfort with larger-than-life creatures.
The Monsterverse franchise stands out in Hollywood by humanizing its iconic creatures, Godzilla and Kong, turning them into relatable protagonists with complex emotions and motivations. In comparison with other creature-based franchises such as the Jurassic Park series, where dinosaurs are mainly antagonistic threats, this approach allows the Monsterverse to forge a deeper connection with audiences, particularly in India, where there is a cultural resonance with creatures having significant roles.
Moreover, each Monsterverse film builds upon the last, creating an interconnected narrative that makes these titanic characters central to the storyline, rather than mere catalysts for human action. This narrative depth and character-centric storytelling differentiate the Monsterverse from other creature-centric franchises, which focuses more on survival against nature’s creations rather than exploring them as characters with their own arcs.
In addition, the Monsterverse also distinguishes itself from the crowded superhero franchise landscape in India. This shift from human-centric to creature-centric narratives offers a unique viewing experience that merges elements of nature and humanity in a way that superhero films typically do not, providing a fresh and distinct immersion that taps into a different aspect of the audience's imagination.
In the context of franchise-building and the appeal of creature-based narratives, in recent times, the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe emerges as a paramount example of both substantial box office success and a strong likeability with Indian audiences. Buoyed by the blockbuster success Stree 2, Maddock Films announced their line-up of the next eight films in the universe, to be released between 2025 and 2028. The universe not only interweaves local folklore with contemporary settings, but also personifies its creatures, transforming them into central, relatable characters.
Dinesh Vijan presents the genre-defining lineup of #MaddockHorrorComedyUniverse 8 theatrical films that will take you on a wild ride of laughter, spooks, thrills, and screams! #DineshVijan #MaddockHorrorComedyUniverse #Announcement #MaddockFilms #NewReleases #UpcomingMovies… pic.twitter.com/wCuAGL9pV9
— Maddockfilms (@MaddockFilms) January 2, 2025
The success of this universe affirm the affinity of Indian audiences for creature-based content, which is why the Monsterverse franchise also has a promising future in India. But we will have to wait till 2027 for the next Godzilla x Kong film to see how much further can this franchise grow in the Indian market.
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