Lijo Jose Pellissery reacts as ‘Moonwalk’ loses almost all screens despite positive reviews: Is there a bigger struggle in cinema? Director asks

Mollywood’s latest film ‘Moonwalk’ has taken a dramatic tumble in terms of theatrical presence. What began as a promising release across 140 theatres in its opening week has now shrunk to just 12 theatres in the second week.

The drastic reduction has raised concerns about the sustainability of theatrical releases in the Malayalam film industry, even for critically appreciated titles.Lijo Jose Pellissery took to social media to share his emotional response to the situation, describing it as a symbolic “grand second-week celebration” that ironically highlighted the film’s near disappearance from theatres. He reflected on the collective effort of the team behind ‘Moonwalk’—from producers and distributors to theatre owners—and questioned if there was a greater struggle facing Malayalam cinema today.Lijo Appeals to the AudienceIn his heartfelt note, Lijo urged everyone who had watched the film in theatres to share their feedback publicly. Emphasizing that audience voices carry immense value, especially in times of uncertainty, he suggested that such responses could influence both current viewership and the future of theatrical storytelling in Malayalam cinema.

His note read, “മലയാള സിനിമയിലെ ഏറ്റവും മുന്തിയ നിര്‍മ്മാതാവും വിതരണക്കാരനും തിയേറ്റര്‍ മുതലാളിയും കൂടി മുന്നില്‍ നിന്ന് നയിച്ച ‘മൂണ്‍വാക്ക്’ എന്ന ചലച്ചിത്രത്തിന്റെ മഹത്തായ രണ്ടാം വാരാഘോഷം.

മലയാളം ചലച്ചിത്ര മേഖലയിലെ പ്രതിസന്ധിക്കെതിരെ ഇതിലും വലിയ പോരാട്ടമുണ്ടോ. സബാഷ് 1st week – 140 stations 2nd week – 12 theaters NB:സിനിമ തിയേറ്ററില്‍ കണ്ടവര്‍ ദയവായി അഭിപ്രായം കുറിക്കണം.”

Box office numbersDespite its artistic value and favourable reviews, ‘Moonwalk’ failed to translate that buzz into box office numbers. According to the Sacnilk website data, the film collected just Rs 83 lakhs net in India, with a worldwide gross of Rs 95 lakhs. Day-wise collections reveal a sharp drop in earnings as the week progressed, with the film earning Rs 16 lakhs on its first day and dipping to Rs 2 lakhs by day 7.