There will be a fierce clash at the box office this Independence Day weekend. On one side is superstar Rajinikanth, whose gangster action film Coolie is releasing on August 14, while on the other side is Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s much-talked-about spy thriller War 2. Both films are set to rock the world with a multilingual release.
While fans are excited for both films, early figures suggest that Rajinikanth’s Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, has taken a lead at the overseas box office.
Coolie’s bookings in North America have reached $1.25 million, with 7 days to go. The film is also receiving a great response in Gulf countries, Malaysia, Singapore, and the UK – over 20,000 tickets have been sold in these territories so far. Overall, Coolie’s overseas pre-sales have crossed the $2 million mark.
On the other hand, War 2, part of Yash Raj Films’ larger franchise, is moving slowly in overseas markets. The film’s bookings in the US are around $300K, and are expected to pick up as it nears release. The film is more popular in Hindi and Telugu-speaking regions, but Coolie is still dominating overseas.
Rajinikanth’s ‘mass appeal’ and Lokesh Kanagaraj’s direction make this film special overseas. The South Indian diaspora, especially the Tamil audiences, has given their full support to Coolie. Trade experts believe that if the film gets good reviews and positive word-of-mouth, it can become the biggest overseas grosser of Tamil cinema.
While Coolie has made a strong start in the overseas market, War 2 is all set to spread its magic in the domestic market.
This clash between the two films will be among the most interesting clashes in Indian box office history.
Stay tuned to IWMBuzz.com for more updates.
