In terms of booking, Rajinikanth’s Coolie and Hrithik Roshan Jr. NTR’s War 2 are on quite different paths, with only six days till their North American releases. The superstar’s dominance is apparent.
According to the most recent information, War 2 is far behind Coolie, which has soared beyond $1.42 million (Rs 2.69 crore) in total premiere advance sales across North America, including Canada. That’s a huge 4.6x commercial for Coolie, highlighting how popular Rajinikanth is abroad, particularly in the USA. However, one must realize that even while regional films have a big opening, Hindi films end up making more money than or on par with their South American equivalents at the end of their theatrical run.
While a big movie theater chain has not yet opened for reservations, Coolie has already sold over 48,000 tickets in the USA alone and over 7000 tickets in Canada. Since more theaters would be operating at almost full capacity, ticket sales would skyrocket at that point. In contrast, 10,651 tickets for War 2 have been sold in the United States.
Even though War 2 is a big movie—it unites Jr. NTR, Kiara Advani, and Hrithik Roshan under the YRF Spy Universe banner—it should gain popularity as it gets closer to release. Rajinikanth’s unparalleled international box office power is evident from the early trend, particularly in Tamil-speaking regions and among the Indian diaspora worldwide.
Rajinikanth’s renowned fan base, Lokesh Kanagaraj’s directing reputation, and the participation of well-known figures from all other industries, including Nagarjuna, Upendra, Sathyraj, Shoubin Shahir, Aamir Khan, and Shruti Haasan, contributed to Coolie’s spectacular start. One of the most significant premier advances for any Indian picture in North America in 2025 has resulted from the buzz, and it continues to grow.
War 2 is still in a slower gear, but it has started to pick up speed as it added USD 42,000 to its total kitty in the last day, despite its franchise appeal and the much-anticipated confrontation between Hrithik and Jr. NTR. Industry observers are still hopeful that there will be a significant spike shortly, particularly with further promotions and final-week excitement.
For the time being, however, there is no question that Superstar Rajinikanth’s Coolie is in a class by itself in the North American box office competition, marking its debut.
