With around a month to go and no release date locked on the creatives yet, the Ramayana team is still finalising how the film will open. A trade source told Bollywood Hungama that the makers are “toying with the idea” of paid previews on the evening of Wednesday, November 4, with a full release the next day, Thursday, November 5.
Paid previews have become a familiar lever for event films: they convert advance buzz into paid seats before the official opening day and can shape early word-of-mouth. In this case, though, the lever is not yet pulled. Sony Pictures, IMAX and other international partners need to be briefed on the global release strategy, so a final decision is expected by the end of this week or early next week.
Godzilla Minus Zero gets a smaller IMAX slice
The Japanese release is now expected in India on Friday, November 6, day-and-date with North America. It is also an IMAX title, but the trade source says Ramayana is the local film and is expected to have far greater demand. As a result, Godzilla Minus Zero is likely to get limited showcasing — at most IMAX cinemas, just one show, with the remaining shows going to Ramayana.
PVR INOX’s Kamal Gianchandani had confirmed to Bollywood Hungama two weeks ago, “Godzilla Minus Zero will release in India,” and said it would most likely arrive in the same week as Ramayana.
Why the screen split matters
For fans, the same-week clash is really about which film gets the premium format. If the plan holds, Ramayana will dominate IMAX from November 5, while Godzilla Minus Zero gets a narrow window on November 6.
- Ramayana: possible paid previews on November 4 and a full release on November 5.
- Godzilla Minus Zero: India release on November 6, likely one IMAX show at most properties.
- Status: neither plan is locked; official announcements are pending.
For theatre chains, that allocation decides not just fan access but premium-screen revenue in one of the year’s biggest release windows. If the paid preview is confirmed, November 4 becomes the first box-office test for the epic. For Godzilla Minus Zero, the tight IMAX run means checking showtimes as soon as bookings open.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com