While 2025 ended on a grand note with Dhurandhar, the franchise continued to dominate in 2026 as the second installment released in March, shattering the records set by the first part. Currently, on day 52 of its run, Dhurandhar: The Revenge has crossed Rs 1141.99 crore net in India, while its worldwide gross stands at Rs 1793 crore. With the benchmark now set incredibly high, all eyes are on the big-ticket releases lined up for the rest of 2026. Expectations are soaring not just because of the scale of these films, but also due to their star-studded casts and massive production values.Here are five films carrying huge box office expectations in the coming months of 2026!Film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi shared insights on the films generating the most buzz this year. Speaking to ETimes, he said, “Ramayana, Toxic and King are definitely the films to look forward to. These are the top three movies of the year with very high expectations. Apart from these, Rajinikanth’s Jailor 2 is another film poised to be huge, especially in Tamil cinema. The fifth one could be a surprise blockbuster like Saiyaara, for instance, Aawarapan 2. Another film I’m personally looking forward to is Sooraj Barjatya’s next, Yeh Prem Mol Liya.”
Anticipated releases of 2026Ramayana: Part 1Ramayana: Part 1 is set to release this Diwali, and the makers recently unveiled the first look of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama. While the glimpse received mixed reactions online, the film continues to remain one of the most anticipated releases of the year.Akshaye further elaborated on the film’s box office expectations and said, “Despite all the criticism, Adipurush still opened to strong numbers. It proves that the appetite for a story like Ramayana is massive in India. It’s all about telling the tale well, and someone like Nitesh Tiwari is a fantastic filmmaker. With phenomenal performers like Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi and Sunny Deol, this is one of the best opportunities we’ve had to do justice to Ramayana, which is deeply rooted in our faith.”Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film is reportedly mounted on a budget of Rs 400 crore, while the second part is slated for release in 2027.ToxicYash’s Toxic has faced multiple delays. The film was initially slated to release on June 4, but the makers recently issued a statement confirming the delay. While Toxic is originally a Kannada film, it is set to release in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam.It read, “There are films we make, and then there are films that remind us why we fell in love with cinema. Toxic has been one such journey. Presenting our film at CinemaCon and witnessing the overwhelming global response reaffirmed what we have always believed — this film deserves to reach its fullest potential worldwide.”The statement further added, “Toxic is complete, and we are currently aligning global distribution and partnerships. In light of this, we have decided to recalibrate our release timeline. While we will not be releasing on June 4 as announced earlier, we will be releasing at a later, globally aligned date. Toxic will hit theatres across the world soon.”The film also stars Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, Kiara Advani, Rukmini Vasanth and Akshay Oberoi.KingShah Rukh Khan is set to return to the big screen this Christmas with King, reuniting with Pathaan director Siddharth Anand. Naturally, expectations are sky-high. The first look of the film was unveiled on SRK’s birthday last year, and recent viral videos of him shooting a romantic track with Deepika Padukone have only heightened fan excitement.The film also stars Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Suhana Khan, Arshad Warsi and Jaideep Ahlawat among others.Aawarapan 2As the famous dialogue goes, “Aakha Bollywood ek taraf aur Emraan Hashmi ek taraf.” Clearly, Aawarapan 2 has reignited excitement among fans who are eager to see Emraan Hashmi return to his signature intense avatar, complete with soulful music. Unsurprisingly, it has emerged as one of the most anticipated films of the year.Welcome To The Jungle and Drishyam 32026 will also witness the return of some beloved franchises. The third installment of the Welcome franchise, Welcome To The Jungle, stars Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta and Disha Patani among many others. With Akshay returning to comedy, the film is undoubtedly among the year’s most-awaited entertainers.Meanwhile, anticipation for Drishyam 3 is already at its peak after the trailer launch of Mohanlal’s Malayalam version. Audiences are now eagerly waiting to see Ajay Devgn step back into the shoes of Vijay Salgaonkar. The film is scheduled to release on the iconic date of October 2 this year — a date that fans of the Ajay Devgn-Tabu franchise know holds special significance.
