Housefull 5 announced: Akshay Kumar's franchise stands tall with Rs498 crores in India & Rs795 crores globally

Akshay Kumar returns for the fifth installment of the Housefull franchise. The film is going to be directed by Tarun Mansukhani and will release in Diwali 2024.

By Rishil Jogani

Published on Jul 01, 2023 | 10:38 AM IST | 380.4K

Akshay Kumar will return for the fifth installment of the Housefull franchise (Credit: Akshay Kumar Instagram)

Sajid Nadiadwala's Housefull franchise is among the biggest comedy franchises in the country. The film franchise featuring Akshay Kumar in a titular role has found a lot of success over the years, not just at the box office but also on satellite (television). The 5th installment of the Housefull franchise was announced officially yesterday and it created a frenzy on social media. The film is scheduled to release on Diwali 2024 and it will be locking horns with Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, which ironically is a film franchise that Akshay Kumar added a lot of value to. With Housefull 5, Akshay Kumar has booked two big festivals for his theatrical releases; While Bade Miyan Chote Miyan releases on Eid, Housefull 5, as specified above, releases on Diwali.

Housefull 5 Is Part Of One Of India's Most Successful Comedy Intellectual Properties

Housefull 5 is being looked at optimistically by the trade. Being part of a very successful IP (Intellectual Property), theatre owners can be assured that the film will drive good footfalls. It has been almost critic proof with even the worst reviewed films managing to do hit or better numbers. The director of Housefull 5 is Tarun Mansukhani and while he has very little experience making genuine comedies, he has shown his potential with films like Dostana. The wait for the next Housefull film is for over a year and thus it is best to analyse the theatrical performance of the previous Housefull films and what potential Housefull 5 holds.

Housefull was a hit at the box office

Housefull Was The Start To What Would Become One Of India's Most Successful Comedy Franchises

The first Housefull film released back in 2010. It was directed by Sajid Khan and starred Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Riteish Deshmukh, Arjun Rampal and many others. The film emerged a hit at the box office with nett India collections of Rs 72.25 crores and worldwide gross collections of Rs 116.50 crores. It laid the foundation for a comedy franchise that would go onto become one of the most sought after Hindi movie IPs of all time.

Housefull 2 was a super-hit at the box office

Housefull 2 Raised The Bar Of Slapstick Comedy In India

The stakes increased for Housefull 2, that released in 2012. John Abraham, Shreyansh Talpade and a number of veteran actors joined the cast to make it one of the biggest casting coups of all time for a hindi film. The Sajid Khan comedy was a super-hit at the box office as it netted Rs 111.80 crores domestically and Rs 188.50 crores worldwide.

Housefull 3 was a hit at the box office

Athough Housefull 3 Was A Hit, It Could Not Repeat The Magic Of The First 2 Housefull Films

Housefull 3 came after a gap of over 4 years. The director of the film was changed to Farhad Samji. While Abhishek Bachchan joined the cast, a good chunk of the cast from the previous installment wasn't a part of it. Although the film was a theatrical hit, it wasn't liked as much as the previous two parts and also the domestic collections and footfalls dropped. The film netted Rs 108.10 crores in India and grossed Rs 195 crores worldwide. If not for inflation and better exchange, the worldwide collections would have landed lower than the previous installment.

Housefull 4 was a super-hit at the box office

Housefull 4 Did Very Well Commercially Despite Being Panned By Most

Housefull 4 released in 2019. A chunk of the film was directed by Sajid Khan before Farhad Samji took over. The concept of this Housefull film was different from other Housefull films, which generated a lot of curiosity in the public's minds . While the film was panned critically it was a huge commercial success. It netted Rs 205.85 crores in India and Rs 295 crores worldwide. The footfalls of Housefull 4 were the highest in the franchise in India but the growth of the franchise internationally was pretty stagnant, as it ended in the same range as Housefull 2 and Housefull 3. Housefull 4 also became a blockbuster on television, reinstilling the fact that comedy-ensembles can never go out of fashion.

Here is the comparison of all Housefull films and their theatrical collections:-

1. Housefull:
India Nett - Rs 72.25 crores
Worldwide Gross - Rs 116.50 crores

2. Housefull 2:
India Nett - Rs 111.80 crores
Worldwide Gross - Rs 188.50 crores

3. Housefull 3:
India Nett - Rs 108.10 crores
Worldwide Gross - Rs 195 crores

4. Housefull 4:
India Nett - Rs 205.85 crores
Worldwide Gross - Rs 295 crores

While the sum nett total of the four films stands at Rs 498 crores, the worldwide gross totals up to Rs 795 crores. If the track record is anything to go by, Housefull 5 is looking to do over Rs 300 crores worldwide even in the worst case scenario and if the film is actually liked, it can do even better than what is expected out of it.