Two highly anticipated Indian films, Rajinikanth’s “Coolie” and Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s “War 2”, are set for an Independence Day box office clash, with “Coolie” currently dominating North American advance ticket sales.
“Coolie” Rakes in Over $1 Million in Pre-Sales
Lokesh Kanagaraj’s action thriller “Coolie,” starring superstar Rajinikanth, has made a remarkable start in North America. It has already crossed the $1.06 million mark in advance bookings, making it the fastest Tamil film to achieve this milestone in North America pre-sales.
A significant portion of this comes from the US alone, where “Coolie” has garnered $850,000 and sold over 35,000 tickets. The film is set to open in 1147 shows across 430 locations in the US, indicating a widespread release.
Joining an Elite Club of Tamil Blockbusters
With its impressive pre-sales, “Coolie” has now entered an exclusive list of Tamil blockbusters that have surpassed $1 million in North American advance bookings. This coveted group includes Rajinikanth’s own “Kabali” (2016), which recorded $1.92 million, and Lokesh Kanagaraj’s previous hit “Leo” (2023) starring Vijay, with $1.86 million.
Additionally, Mani Ratnam’s historical epic “Ponniyin Selvan I” (2022) also achieved this feat, reaching $1.1 million in pre-sales. “Coolie” now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with these successful titles.
“War 2” Lags But Shows Strength
In contrast, Ayan Mukerji’s spy thriller “War 2,” featuring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, is trailing “Coolie” significantly in North American pre-sales. The film has collected $168,000 from 1585 shows across 582 locations in North America, with $150,900 from US cinemas.
While it seems unlikely to reach the $1 million mark in pre-sales like “Coolie,” “War 2” has shown its own strength. It managed to hit the $100,000 pre-sales mark in just seven hours, making it the fastest Indian film to do so in North America, outperforming Jr NTR’s previous film “Devara,” which took eleven hours.
A Clash of Cinematic Universes
Both “Coolie” and “War 2” are major tentpoles set within their own popular cinematic universes. “War 2” is the latest installment in Aditya Chopra’s ambitious YRF Spy Universe, which already boasts hits like the Tiger franchise and “Pathaan.” This film marks Ayan Mukerji’s directorial debut outside of Dharma Productions, with Kiara Advani joining the returning cast members Hrithik Roshan and Ashutosh Rana.
“Coolie,” on the other hand, is a part of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), which includes films like “Kaithi,” “Vikram,” and “Leo.” This film features a stellar cast alongside Rajinikanth, including Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, Pooja Hegde, Sathyaraj, and a special cameo by Aamir Khan.
- “Coolie” has secured a significant lead in North American advance bookings, surpassing $1 million.
- It is the fastest Tamil film to achieve $1 million in North American pre-sales.
- “War 2” lags but demonstrated a quicker $100K pre-sales than previous films.
- Both films, releasing on August 14th, represent major cinematic universes.
The stage is set for an epic box office battle as these two highly anticipated films go head-to-head on Independence Day, bringing the clash of Indian cinematic universes to the global screen.
