Reliance-Disney merger will light a fuse for new movie announcements, experts say

New movie announcements, which have slowed down in recent months, are expected to return with a bang once the Reliance-Disney merger goes through as the combined entity is expected to be aggressive on theatrical movies, experts told Mint. For now, producers and actors are in wait-and-watch mode with only a handful of ‘safe’ movies in genres such as action and horror comedy finding favour at the box office.

A senior film producer, who did not wish to be named, said, “The only strategy right now is to do nothing. There is likely to be some movement on announcements once the Reliance-Disney merger goes through and they look to dominate both the film and OTT markets. Those announcements should start coming in by January and the films will probably go on the floors mid to late 2025.” An aggressive approach by the merged entity will also compel rivals to start green-lighting more projects, this person added.

Old wine in new bottles

The only theatrical announcements at the moment are for sequels such as Hera Pheri, Welcome, Housefull, Border, Son of Sardaar, and Raid. The producer quoted above said this is the only way filmmakers can play it safe and guarantee some box office returns for now, and that once the Reliance-Disney merger goes through, there should be a boom in both theatrical and OTT productions.

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With movies such as Chandu Champion, Maidaan and Sarfira having failed at the box office, genres such as biopics, sports dramas and films with social messages are now being put on the backburner. According to media reports, biopics on Sourav Ganguly and Abhinav Bindra have been put on hold because of the failure of recent movies in the genre.

“When one thing works, everyone starts chasing the same thing until its charm dies down completely because the format turns predictable and repetitive and the audience loses interest,” film producer Yusuf Shaikh said. He added that many films were planned during covid since streaming platforms were willing to pay big sums to acquire their rights amid lockdowns. With that enthusiasm having dwindled, it has become more important for the film to say something new and for the makers to present it intelligently even if it belongs to a well-worn genre. That said, there is particular concern on biopics, sports dramas and social-messaging films at the moment.

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Producer Tanuj Garg of Ellipsis Entertainment said, "Sports dramas and biopics aren't doing well, presumably as they're getting repetitive and follow the same arc – underdog to hero or rags to riches. There's nothing unusual or striking in their narrative, going by the last few examples. Having said that, it's unfair to generalise as a good film is a good film at the end of the day. So maybe if a really compelling and entertaining sports drama or biopic on an iconic personality is released, it will be received well.”

$8.5-billion merger

On 28 August the Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the proposed merger of Disney Star, the local unit of The Walt Disney Company, and Reliance Industries-controlled Viacom18, with some voluntary modifications. This will pave the way for the largest deal in India's media and entertainment sector, creating an $8.5-billion entertainment network.

The approval came just a week after the CII said the merger would harm competition due to the two entities’ power over cricket broadcast rights, according to a Reuters report.

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