New Delhi, Oct 22: Come November, sci-fi fans in India would join viewers in over 60 other countries for the global premiere of a Hollywood movie. When Matrix Revolutions , the final chapter of the Matrix trilogy, hits the big screen on November 5, it will be the first time that India would feature in global premiere of a Hollywood movie.
Interestingly, the sci-fi drama is slated to premiere simultaneously at the same time in several countries across the globe, with India release set for a mid-week screening.
This queers the pitch for several exhibitors -- especially the single screen theatres -- who are used to weekly change every Friday.
If the producers/distributors -- Warner Brothers -- stick to their plan for simultaneous global release on November 5, the movie would begin its first screening at 6 am in Los Angeles, 9 am in New York, London (2 pm), Moscow (5pm), and Tokyo (11pm). Many in the exhibition and distribution trade feel that with India figuring on Hollywood's global plans, it would give a big blow to piracy in the region and also help to shore up revenues generated by Hollywood studios from the country.
As per industry estimates, the business by Hollywood studios in India (in terms of gross collections) -- pegged around Rs 200 crore-mark in 2002 -- is expected to touch the Rs 300 crore-level in 2003.
Hollywood, in India too, has been making most of the positive spiral in show biz sentiments in the first eight months of the year.
Gross box-office collections by Hollywood movies in the first seven months of 2003 is estimated to have gone up in excess of 30 per cent, compared to the same period in 2002, with 40-odd releases. This is expected to get further impetus with India joining Hollywood's bandwagon of global premiere.
"The hype generally associated with a global release could help to draw in the crowds and set the pace for strong box office collections in the opening week," says manager of a Delhi-based multiplex theatre.

Though Warner Brothers executives are silent on their plans to market and promote Matrix Revolutions in India, those in the exhibition trade indicate that the movie is expected to release country-wide with excess of 150 prints, including dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
The sequel to The Matrix (1999), Matrix Reloaded , which opened in June this year -- the same week as Bollywood hit Chalte, Chalte -- had gross collections of around Rs 2.2 crore in the opening weekend, and was one of the big grossers of the year with collection in excess of Rs 8 crore.
Though sci-fi dramas have limited appeal to a niche theatre-going population, exhibitors expect Matrix Revolutions to better this performance.
Many in trade believe that simultaneous global release of the movie would go a long way to mitigate the impact of pirated VCDs that generally rear up within a week of US opening.
The biggest Hollywood grosser of the year in India has been Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines that raked in around Rs 14 crore since its July release. Last year, Hollywood block-buster Spiderman had made its India-premiere within two weeks of its US opening.

Many in the exhibition trade feel that though single-screen theatres might not find it easy to switch on to a new movie in the middle of a week due to contractual obligations, multiplex owners have the option to juggle around.
The first two movies in the Matrix series -- The Matrix and Matrix Reloaded -- have raked in over $900 million globally.
The last episode of the series, Matrix Revolution , was shot simultaneously over a 240-day period along with Matrix Reloaded .
So, when you are glued on to the big screen to watch Neo (Keanu Reeves) take on Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) in the final battle for Zion on November 5th, so will be millions across the globe. It marks a new high for Hollywood in India.