The Walt Disney India Company on Thursday confirmed that it will be focusing on it’s Hollywood slate in India and not on Bollywood productions.The company’s recent releases such as Mohenjodaro,a Hrithik Roshan starer, and Fitoor failed to do wonders at the Box Office.The studio said that the reason behind this shift is the challenging current economic model for investing in the local film industry.
In 2012,Disney had expanded it’s Indian presence by acquiring stakes in UTV,after which UTV delivered hits like PK.
On the other hand,Disney’s Hollywood investments seem to be quite steady.Fast and Furious 7 managed to gross an all-time high of $23.4 million during its release last year.But Jon Favreau-directed movie, The Jungle Book broke all records and grossed $23.7 million within its first 12 days of release.
Disney’s other strong Hollywood performers in India include last year’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron,which collected $16.2 million and was ranked third among 2015’s top 10 Hollywood earners in the country.The company’s existing slate includes Aamir Khan starrer,Dangal which is scheduled to release on 23rd December and Ranbir and Katrina starrer,Jagga Jasoos in April next year.
The Company concluded by adding that they will continue to remain optimistic and keep investing in growing the Disney brand in India.
