In an unexpected twist, Rajinikanth’s upcoming film Coolie is making waves at the US box office, pulling ahead of War 2, which stars Hrithik Roshan and NTR Jr. With only nine days to go before its release, Coolie has opened advance bookings with an impressive $205,000 (combining Hindi and Telugu versions) in North America. In comparison, War 2 has garnered a remarkable $1.2 million in advance sales.
Even more surprising is how a Tamil film has shown dominant interest from audiences in a market traditionally ruled by Telugu cinema. The trend is evident in other regions too, including Australia and New Zealand, where Coolie is also leading in pre-sales.
This phenomenon is particularly striking given that War 2 is a more extensive production and part of a well-known franchise. While both films still have new locations to open for advance ticket sales, Coolie is currently in a strong position, significantly outpacing its rival.
The Telugu dubbed version of Coolie has raked in about $200,000, overshadowing the $155,000 of the Telugu version of War 2 in the US. The Hindi take for War 2, at $50,000, is disappointing and trails behind other major releases like Pathaan, Dunki, Jawan, Tiger 3, and Animal. In the Telugu segment, it is also underperforming compared to other films such as Game Changer.
The upcoming days will be vital for War 2, as it needs to pick up pace if it hopes to make a significant impact in international markets.
