Warner Bros Pictures to premiere The Suicide Squad in select Indian cities on 5 August

Hollywood is taking a tentative step back into India's cinematic waters as theatres are re-opening in select states. Warner Bros Pictures has announced its plans to roll out its lineup comprising Mortal Kombat, The Suicide Squad and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It in the coming weeks.

The Hollywood studio had premiered Mortal Kombat (2021) on 23 April in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and is planning to release the martial arts fantasy film in select cities on 30 July in theatres.

Writer-director James Gunn’s anti-hero saga The Suicide Squad will be released in select cities on 5 August. The DC Extended Universe film stars Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Sylvester Stallone and Viola Davis and it is expected to open in the US on the same day.

Finally, the latest instalment in the Conjuring horror franchise, The Devil Made Me Devil Do It, starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, is due to be released in select cities on Friday, 13 August.

The Indian theatre industry has welcomed the move by Hollywood.

Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of PVR Pictures, said that it was heartening to know that Warner Bros Pictures has announced the release dates of the three films. "Many states have given permission for cinemas to re-open and the release of these movies in three consecutive weeks in multiple languages and formats would surely give a boost to the industry by inducing moviegoers back to the big screen to enjoy these amazing films,” Gianchandani said.
 
Cinepolis India’s CEO Devang Sampat said that the theatre chain was excited to welcome back patrons. “To make their welcome a bit more special, Warner Bros Pictures and Cinepolis will be greeting patrons with back-to-back releases like Mortal Kombat, The Suicide Squad and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, which have proven to be successful in overseas markets. The safety of our patrons and employees is paramount and at Cinepolis we have ensured that 100% of our staff has been vaccinated already, thus providing a safe environment to all our patrons and employees,” he said.

INOX Leisure Ltd’s chief programming officer Rajender Singh Jyala stated that there cannot be anything more important than brand new content for the cinema exhibition industry, which has been facing severe headwinds for the last five quarters. "With the back-to-back release of Mortal Kombat, The Suicide Squad and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, the industry will get a perfect launching pad, which will prove decisive for making a remarkable comeback. We would like to thank Warner Bros. Pictures for laying out such a stellar line-up,” he said.