With 10 days remaining until their highly anticipated premieres, two of Indian cinema’s biggest upcoming releases , Rajinikanth’s Coolie and Hrithik Roshan-NTR Jr. starrer War 2 have kicked off their North American campaigns, setting the stage for a box office battle that could redefine opening benchmarks.While both films are generating massive buzz, it’s Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie that has taken a dominant early lead. As of today, Coolie has racked up a staggering $1.06 million ( USD 917K from the United States of America) in North America through advance sales alone, with more than 34,000 tickets sold . On the other hand, YRF Spy Universe’s War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and NTR Jr.,began its advance ticketing only a few days back and crossed USD 110 K within the first day itself and by Monday morning it stands at $178K in total premiere sales so far. The film has sold more than 6200 tickets and has screenings in more than 550 locations. What’s interesting is the stark contrast in early traction. Despite War 2 having significantly more locations its ticket sales are currently a fraction of Coolie’s indicating that Coolie has hit a cultural and commercial sweet spot, especially with Tamil diaspora audiences and fans of Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj’s gritty cinematic style. When the trailer of Coolie was dropped on 2nd August, it was met with muted response many calling it the weakest trailer in Lokesh’s filmography. But the ticket sales jumped by USD 85,000 after the trailer’s release. The buzz for Coolie has been unprecedented since its first look, with Lokesh Kanagaraj’s signature gangster-verse storytelling combining with Rajinikanth’s timeless charisma. Its pre-release momentum is now on track to break the record set by Leo ($1.3M), also directed by Lokesh, Jailer’s premiere total of $948K in the USA. War 2, meanwhile, is expected to pick up pace in the coming days. With NTR Jr. joining Hrithik Roshan in a pan-India spy thriller directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film appeals to both Hindi and Telugu-speaking audiences. Given the global fanbase of both leads and the strong performance of Pathaan and War in overseas territories, the film is projected to gain momentum closer to release. War 2 also has a very extensive release plan in India where some reports suggest that the film has locked in about 9000 screens in India and has booked all IMAX screens in the country for 3 weeks. But Coolie has managed to get all XD screens in the USA. As the countdown begins, all eyes are now on how both films trend over the next week. While Coolie is leading the charge with explosive advance numbers, War 2 has just entered the race — and if its campaign fires up, North America could witness a historic double blockbuster opening weekend.Trade experts have been quietly speculating about how many screens Coolie will ultimately secure in North India, especially with Aamir Khan making a cameo appearance. While the film is expected to dominate in Tamil Nadu, the makers are still in the process of finalizing screen counts there. However, the real challenge seems to be in the Telugu-speaking states, where competition is heating up due to the impending release of War 2. Producer Naga Vamsi has reportedly shelled out over Rs 80 crore for the Telugu distribution rights of War 2, banking on the massive fan following of Jr NTR, who shares the screen with Hrithik Roshan in the high-octane actioner. Jr NTR’s previous release, Devara Part 1, was a huge box office success, earning over Rs 220 crore from its Telugu version alone, with total collections crossing Rs 290 crore. But feel that 14th August weekend is going to be the biggest weekend Indian Cinema has witnessed as two major films across the country are clashing .
