In November 2015, when Hollywood A-listers Benedict Cumberbatch and Chietewel Ejiofor arrived in Kathmandu for the shooting of Marvel Studio’s new superhero franchise; k-town went completely gaga, but the excitement settled with the stars’ departure. Five months down the line, when the trailers for the movie surfaced in the media—with the sneak-peeks incorporating various scenes shot in the Kathmandu Valley—it set the Nepali twitter verse abuzz with awe and excitement, with the fans waiting eagerly the movie’s unveiling.

This weekend as the Marvel Studio production Doctor Strange saw its worldwide release, the fans in Kathmandu thronged to movie halls without delay. “The turnout has been just as expected—all the shows in all QFX cinema halls over the weekend have been houseful” says Nakkim Uddin, Director of Team Quest, the company behind QFX Cinemas. He shares that box office profits were almost preordained but looking at the current occupancy, the movie promises longer-term playability and should run in the halls for at least three more weeks.

“When I went to watch Dr Strange at the QFX at Labim Mall, I felt a completely different energy”, Uddim confessed. “The movie has portrayed Kathmandu so beautifully that you feel so proud just to be a resident of this beautiful land of eastern mysticism. I could tell I shared the pride with rest of the audience because as soon as Kathmandu came on to the screen, everybody instantly began cheering. ” Uddim is optimistic about the release of this superhero movie leading to further tourism in Nepal.

With Doctor Strange, Marvel is said to have done complete justice to both the comic-book and fans of Cumberbatch, who plays a famed neurosurgeon who loses his skills after a deadly car accident before discovering the world of magic

and mystic arts on his quest to heal himself. After its release this weekend, the movie has bewitched box offices worldwide raking in $240.4 million overseas.

Nepal, which has been touted as an exotic location for both Bollywood and Hollywood movies, has over the years served as a backdrop for several blockbusters. Doctor Strange now follows the footsteps of movies such as the Eddie Murphy-starrer The Golden Child, Seven Years in Tibet with Brad Pitt, Little Buddha featuring Keanu Reeves, and Everest with Josh Brolin and Jake Gyllenhaal, which have brought Hollywood A-listers to the country.