The "Rajamouli Effect" is in full swing. Following the cryptic billboard campaign across the holy city of Varanasi, the team has officially confirmed that the Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra starrer will hit theaters on Wednesday, April 7, 2027.
The Overseas Strategy: Tuesday Premieres
For international audiences, the journey begins even earlier. Overseas Premieres are set for Tuesday, April 6, 2027.
While Tuesday premieres are rare for such a massive tentpole, the strategy is clear:
- The Mid-Week Challenge: Mid-week releases are notoriously harder to accommodate for working audiences, but Rajamouli projects have historically defied scheduling norms.
- No Tuesday Offers: Most major chains do not offer "Discount Tuesday" pricing for "Event" cinema and premieres. This ensures that the opening day revenue remains at a premium, boosting what is already expected to be a record-breaking debut.
The IMAX Battle: Titans vs. Time-Travel
One of the biggest hurdles for Varanasi is the battle for Premium Large Format (PLF) screens.
- Godzilla x Kong: Supernova: The MonsterVerse sequel is scheduled for March 26, 2027, with a standard two-week IMAX commitment.
- The Flexibility Factor: While Godzilla x Kong will hold the screens through early April, IMAX is historically flexible after the initial 10–14 days. Since Varanasi is the first Indian film shot entirely for the 1.43:1 IMAX ratio, industry insiders expect it to take over the majority of these screens by April 7.
The Competition: April 2nd Openers
The weekend before Varanasi drops, two major Hollywood studios are launching "Event Films":
- Walt Disney Pictures has an Untitled Live-Action film scheduled for April 2, 2027.
- Universal Pictures has an Untitled Event film locked for the same date.
Despite these heavy hitters, the hype surrounding Rajamouli’s vision—a time-travel epic spanning from the Treta Yuga to the modern age—is expected to overshadow almost everything else in the spring window.
The only question left is: How high can it actually go?
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