Stranger Things 5 Vol 2: Threatening Telugu Releases In Urban Centres

Netflix’s global phenomenon, the superhit web series Stranger Things, is a blockbuster in India as well. And currently the Season 5 – Volume 2 is all set to drop its final four episodes on December 26, and guess what, this timing couldn’t be more challenging for Telugu cinema.

As this Christmas holiday on Thursday (Dec 25) is turning out to be a four-day weekend holiday for most of colleges and other institutions, several medium and small Telugu films were hoping to capitalise on the strong urban footfalls. However, the arrival of Stranger Things into the picture might actually hamper the chances, if trade analysts are to go by.

Especially in metros and Tier-1 cities, Telugu releases like Champion, Shambala, Dhandora, and Eesha were banking heavily on multiplex audiences during this long weekend. In Urban centres such as Hyderabad, Vizag, Bengaluru, Chennai and even overseas Telugu pockets, traditionally witness a split audience during holiday seasons.

With Stranger Things commanding massive attention, it looks like some initial footfalls might take a dent for a couple of days during the holidays. Because OTT consumption is high during the holidays, people can binge-watch all the episodes in one go. However, the real test will be how quickly these films can build momentum once the initial OTT frenzy settles. Because once they watch it in a day, then the audience will turn to the theatres, and only films that get great word of mouth and reviews are going to survive.

In short, while Telugu cinema is gearing up for a crucial holiday stretch, Stranger Things 5 Vol 2 seems to be posing as a potential threat.