Welcome To The Jungle gets a head start with paid previews; advance bookings open today

The paid preview trend that has steadily gained traction in Bollywood this year has found another taker. Akshay Kumar-led Welcome To The Jungle will hold paid previews on June 25th, a day ahead of its theatrical release, with advance bookings for the comedy entertainer opening today. The show timings are from 7.30 pm onwards.

The move comes months after films such as Dhurandhar: The Revenge and Bhooth Bangla experimented with early paid shows. Interestingly, Welcome To The Jungle becomes Akshay Kumar’s second release this year to adopt the strategy after Bhooth Bangla, which had earned Rs 3.65 crore nett through paid previews before its official release.

While paid previews are often positioned as a way to generate early word-of-mouth, they have increasingly become a tool to maximise opening-day business. Trade observers point out that preview collections are now frequently clubbed with day-one figures, unlike earlier when they were reported separately. The strategy can particularly benefit big-ticket releases that are expected to witness strong occupancy during their initial shows.

With industry trackers forecasting an opening in the Rs 22–26 crore range, the inclusion of paid previews is expected to provide an additional boost to the film’s first-day tally. The makers are also banking on strong pre-sales, which commence today.

The film has locked a runtime of 2 hours and 28 minutes and marks the third instalment in the popular Welcome franchise.

Directed by Ahmed Khan, the film brings together a formidable ensemble including Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Arshad Warsi, Jackie Shroff, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Farida Jalal, Johny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Aftab Shivdasani, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Kiran Kumar, Zakir Hussain, Vindu Dara Singh, Urvashi Rautela, Hemant Pandey, Brijendra Kala, Feroze Khan (Arjun), Late Pankaj Dheer Ji, Puneet Issar, Sudesh Berry, Jeetu Verma, Vrihi Kodvara, Adityaa Singgh and Bhagya Bhanushali.

An Ahmed Khan entertainer, Welcome To The Jungle is presented by A.A. Nadiadwala, Cape of Good Films and Star Studio18 in association with Seeta Films and Rakesh Dang. The film is a Base Industries Group Production, produced by Rakesh Dang and Vedant Vikaas Baali, and produced by Firoz A. Nadiadwallah.

The film releases in cinemas worldwide on 26th June 2026.