Svadba (Photo: Press)
ZAGREB, 4 February 2026 (Hina) – Croatian comedy Svadba (The Wedding), directed by Igor Šeregi, officially become the most-watched Croatian film of all time this week.
Within just 12 days of its release, Svadba attracted 374,213 viewers in Croatian cinemas, surpassing all previous national records.
Across the wider region, the film has already drawn nearly 700,000 viewers, with screenings running simultaneously in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by releases in Serbia and further regional markets.
Speaking on Tuesday at a reception hosted by Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC) director Chris Marcich, Šeregi said the film’s success clearly shows that audiences were eager for comedy.
“These numbers tell us that people needed a comedy,” Šeregi said, noting that humour resonated strongly with viewers after years of limited box office growth for Croatian films.
Expanding Across Europe and the Diaspora
Following sold-out premieres in the region, Svadba is now expanding internationally.
The film opens in Slovenia, where its premiere has already sold out, followed by North Macedonia, and will soon premiere in Austria, Germany and more than a dozen other countries.
Šeregi said early figures from international screenings are equally striking, particularly among Croatian diaspora communities.
“There are universal moments that everyone laughs at, but some reactions differ from country to country. That came from working closely with the actors, who added their own insights and helped enrich the film,” he explained.
Further European screenings will be followed by releases in the United States, Australia and other countries with large Croatian communities, extending the film’s reach well beyond the domestic market. The Hoyts website in Australia has “Svadba” premiering on 26 February.
The director said the film’s performance represents more than just the success of Svadba.
“I truly hope this gives momentum to Croatian cinema. Small cinemas are calling us and adding extra screenings, something we haven’t seen in a long time,” Šeregi said. “This feels like a success for Croatian film in general.”
He also pointed to recent international recognition for Croatian filmmakers, including Oscar nominations and European Film Award wins, as signs of a broader creative resurgence.
Notably, producers initially projected Svadba would reach around 150,000 viewers, a figure Šeregi himself considered ambitious. Since 2013, no Croatian film had exceeded 100,000 cinema-goers.
“I was guided by my father’s advice, that it would be great if I had just one viewer more than the last successful film,” Šeregi said, praising distributors for an aggressive promotional campaign that drove strong advance ticket sales.
Sequel Already in Development
A sequel, Svadba 2, has already been approved by HAVC for screenplay development support, with filming tentatively planned for spring 2027, subject to financing and cast availability.
According to HAVC’s artistic advisers, the sequel is set three years after the events of the original film, following the birth of a grandchild.
The story expands geographically to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, with fresh complications facing the two central grandfathers.
In the sequel’s storyline, Croatian grandfather Miljenko Lončarić flees legal trouble and relocates to Herzegovina, living off his in-laws’ money, while former Serbian foreign minister Vuk Dimitrijević finds himself politically sidelined after founding a new party.
Once again, their path out of trouble leads to, another wedding.
HAVC director Chris Marcich said the institution is extremely proud of the achievement.
“When you are with this team, you feel their chemistry. It was clear the film would be successful, but no one dared to hope for success of this scale, and so quickly,” Marcich said.
He added that the film’s continued domestic and international momentum is a positive sign for the entire industry, encouraging audiences back into cinemas and creating opportunities for other Croatian productions.
With its extraordinary box office performance, Svadba has dethroned Vinko Brešan’s How the War Started on My Island (1996), which previously held the domestic record with 338,000 viewers.
Svabda is now the second most-watched film ever shown in Croatian cinemas, trailing only James Cameron’s Titanic (1997), which attracted 495,345 viewers.
