
Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR's ‘ War 2' shows potential against Rajinikanth's ‘Coolie in North America
The North American box office is gearing up for a double dose of star power, with Rajinikanth–Lokesh Kanagaraj's Coolie and the highly anticipated War 2 both set to open in the coming days.
However, the latest premiere advance sales data shows a significant gap between the two films' pre-release performance at least for now.
As of the latest update, Coolie has recorded a massive USD 1.44 million collection in the United States of America for its premier day shows while North America sales stands at USD 1.7 million with 4 more days to go for the shows to begin. .
In comparison, War 2, starring
Hrithik Roshan
, NTR Jr, and
Kiara Advani
, has so far collected USD 331K while its North America collection stands at USD $362K. This marks a huge difference between the two films but it has been traditionally observed that when it comes to films from Tamil and Telugu cinema most of it's collections come from the first 2-3 days and then the film's collection began to taper off but with Hindi it is the reverse. The films might start slow but as time passes, the good films generate enough buzz to go into the profit zone, same was the case with
Shah Rukh Khan
's Jawan and Vicky Kaushal's Chaava.
Even with the latest film Saiyaara the film crossed USD 1 million only on fourth day back ( 22nd July) and a few days back it had crossed the USD 5 million mark.
But the stark difference between the two films' current performance is noteworthy, especially since War 2 is the sequel to a blockbuster action franchise that broke records in India and overseas in 2019 and Coolie is a standalone film. Coolie's advance momentum is being driven by
Rajinikanth
's enduring fan base in overseas territories,
Lokesh Kanagaraj
's proven box office track record, and presence of names like Nagaurjuna, Aamir Khan and Shruti Haasan.
With four days to go, the race is far from over but for now, Coolie is setting the pace, while War 2 is playing catch-up in one of the most closely watched box office face-offs of the year.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Josh Brolin finds 'Weapons' opposite to "all the same..." content on streamers
Josh Brolin finds 'Weapons' opposite to "all the same..." content on streamers Actor Josh Brolin is tired of "all the same sh**" that's on streamers, so he decided to join Zach Cregger 's 'Weapons', according to The Hollywood Reporter. 'Weapons' is a mystery horror film, written, co-produced, and directed by Zach Cregger. The film stars Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich , Austin Abrams , Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong , and Amy Madigan. The Oscar-nominated actor recently shared how the horror mystery pic is the solution to all the boring content. "You're looking for great filmmakers, and you're hoping that there's another new good filmmaker out there," he said. "Right now, with so much content, you're just watching things on whatever streaming service you're on, and you're just going, '...why is this so boring, man? Why?' And just go to the next thing. It's all the same..." Brolin added of 'Weapons', "And then somebody not only takes the horror genre, but then f* with it and then does something on the edge of absurdity, and it's sort of humorous, so it's keeping you off-balance enough for him to have an emotional impact, ultimately, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film is all about a community in chaos after all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanishes on the same night at precisely the same time. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The small town is then left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance, as per the outlet. 'Weapons' not only won over critics and audiences but also came in more than USD10 million ahead of expectations for its opening weekend with USD 42.5 million. Cregger previously told The Hollywood Reporter that "it seems like horror is one of the few outlets for real creativity right now on a big scale." "Without horror, you go to the theatre, and you get people in tights for USD 200 million, and there's not a lot of room for risk in those movies. And no shade, I'm all for entertainment, entertaining. But, it's a shame that there's not a lot of room for anything else," the Barbarian director shared, adding, "I love horror, my creative tuning fork resonates strongly with horror, so I'm lucky in that regard. I dearly wish that we could have cool, edgy, weird comedies back in the movie theatres. Or dramatic fare for adults in the theatre. I feel like there's not a lot of movies for grown-ups anymore," according to The Hollywood Reporter.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Sandhya Mridul recalls how she was just 'done' with Bollywood after some bitter experiences but Yash Chopra persuaded her to do 'Saathiya': 'I told him role is boring'
Sandhya Mridul 's journey began on the small screen, where she rose to prominence with Mahesh Bhatt 's acclaimed television series Abhiman. In a candid conversation, she revealed that Bhatt's habit of praising her acting in front of influential industry figures led to a wave of film offers. But the reality of the Hindi film industry didn't sit well with her, especially the tendency to reduce female actors to mere 'pretty faces.' After repeatedly being approached for superficial roles and even being asked to appear in bikinis, she unexpectedly got a call from Yash Raj Films for a pivotal role in Saathiya. 'I got a call saying that Yash Raj Films is trying to call me. I thought somebody is pranking me because I was a TV actor and I had not worked for three months during that time,' she recalled. When she finally met Yash Chopra , her first thought was, 'I met Yash ji himself and I was like why is he meeting me?' Chopra's warmth took her by surprise. 'Chopra told me, 'Bache I love you. I love your work. I don't leave a scene of your TV show, Koshish. My wife wants to meet you. Also, she loves you, we love you.' He was lovely. He told me, 'Beta, ye picture kar le. This film will do well.'' To his astonishment, Sandhya turned him down. 'Mereko pictures nahin karni hai,' she told him, explaining that she simply didn't understand Bollywood. Laughing at the memory, she added, 'I said this to the king of Bollywood.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dermatologist: Just Add 1 Drop Of This Household Item To Any Dark Spot And Wait 3 Minutes Undo But instead of being offended, Yash Chopra only admired her honesty. 'You are a truthful person. We are not like that. Hum achhe se rahenge, hum bade pyaar se tereko rakhenge,' he assured her, persuading her to at least meet the film's director. That meeting with Shaad Ali took an unexpected turn when Sandhya realised they shared a past connection, which made her more open to the idea. Still, after watching the Tamil original, she wasn't impressed with the character. 'I came to Shaad and told him role 'it is boring',' she admitted. It was Yash Chopra's final words that sealed the deal for her. Sandhya recalled, "He told me, 'You do this role according to you. You will breathe life into this role, and that's why I am bringing you in.' His encouragement made all the difference."


News18
an hour ago
- News18
Rajinikanth's Coolie Becomes First Tamil Film To Cross $2 Million In US Premiere Pre-Sales
Last Updated: Rajinikanth's Coolie makes history as the first Tamil film to cross $2M in US premiere pre-sales, surpassing Kabali, Leo and Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1. Lokesh Kanagaraj's Coolie, headlined by Rajinikanth, is already rewriting box office history before its release. Sun Pictures, the film's producers, confirmed that the action drama has crossed $2 million in premiere pre-sales in North America — making it the first-ever Tamil film to achieve this milestone. With two days still to go before its worldwide release on August 14, Coolie has overtaken the advance booking numbers of Vijay's Leo and Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1. More significantly, Rajinikanth has broken his own record set by Kabali in 2016, which held the previous top spot at $1.9 million for US premieres. Sharing the news on social media, Sun Pictures wrote, '#Coolie varraan solliko! #Coolie is the First Tamil film to cross $2 million in premiere pre-sales in North America. #Coolie releasing worldwide August 14th." Fans erupted with excitement online, hailing it as a 'Rajinikanth mass" moment. One user declared, 'The movie will create a new history," while another celebrated, 'Already record broken." A devoted fan noted, 'With 2 days left, #Coolie overtakes #Kabali and creates history. Record maker & Record breaker #Thalaivar #Rajinikanth." By surpassing $2 million with days to spare, Coolie has secured its place ahead of Tamil cinema's previous premiere pre-sale leaders. After Kabali, the list had Leo (2023) in second place, The GOAT (2024) third, Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1 (2022) fourth, and Jailer (2023) fifth. About Coolie According to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), Coolie follows 'a mysterious man [who] takes a stand against a corrupt syndicate exploiting and abusing the workers of a port town" in an intense action drama. The film marks Lokesh Kanagaraj's first collaboration with Rajinikanth and boasts an ensemble cast featuring Nagarjuna, Nimma Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, and Aamir Khan in pivotal roles. With massive advance sales, star power, and Kanagaraj's action-packed storytelling, Coolie is set for a grand opening not just in India, but globally. The hype suggests August 14 could witness one of Tamil cinema's biggest premieres to date. First Published: August 12, 2025, 23:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.