Tom Hanks Starrer Inferno Sets Box Office Ablaze

Inferno, the sequel to The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, has become a tremendous box office grosser across the globe. Premiered in Florence, Italy, on 9 October at the New Opera Theater, the mystery thriller collected a cool $5 million there itself. The movie was released in 53 markets internationally this past weekend, garnering a staggering $50 million in the opening day. This has put the film in the top position in 45 markets.

The producers of Inferno sought to capitalize on the popularity of homegrown master actor Irrfan Khan, who is playing a pivotal role in the movie, by releasing it in the country two weeks ahead of the US release. The bet seems to be paying off, as the Indian audience has given a resounding response, which saw Rs 9.08 crores ($1.35 million) being added to the collection.

The Ron Howard directed movie chronicles the latest exploits of Harvard symbologist Professor Robert Langdon, with Tom Hanks reprising the role. Starring alongside Felicity Jones, Omar Sy, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Ben Foster and Irrfan Khan, Langdon finds himself in the middle of a potential global virus scare, with his memory gone and scarred with flashes of visions of hell. Now, he must navigate through layers of mystery while dealing with assignation attempts and race to save humanity from possible annihilation by a virus created by a billionaire geneticist, who has taken it upon to himself to save the world from overpopulation with his virus, which he thinks is the only way to get rid of the excess headcount.

Even though dubbed complex, the film has connected well with the audience—this, coupled with charismatic acting by Hanks and Khan and others seem to have contributed to the explosive response.

For Indians, seeing dear Irrfan playing in the international arena plus the opportunity to watch it beforehand the US audient is just too sweet.