Rajinikanth’s Coolie Smashes Past War 2 With 6X Lead in North America Sales

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AUGUST 08,2025

The upcoming Independence Day weekend is gearing up for one of the biggest box office clashes of the year mdash Rajinikanth's Coolie versus Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR's War 2. And if early numbers are anything to go by, Thalaivar is already leading the race overseas.

In North America, Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, has created a storm at the ticket counters. The film has raked in a phenomenal USD 1.06 million in advance sales, dwarfing War 2's USD 168,000.

This makes Coolie the fastest Tamil film to cross the USD 1 million mark in the region, with USD 850K coming from the U.S. alone. It has already sold over 35,000 tickets across 1,147 shows in 430 locations.

Also Read: Coolie Plot Leaked - Rajinikanth's Mafia Comeback and Vengeance Tale

In comparison, War 2, despite boasting the combined star power of Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR and being part of Yash Raj Films' lucrative Spy Universe, has sold far fewer tickets mdash spread over 1,585 shows in 582 venues.

Updated box office tracking shows Coolie widening the gap, now standing at roughly six times more advance sales than its Bollywood rival, with USD 1.2 million booked against War 2's USD 205K for premiere shows.

The film's success comes despite mixed reactions to its trailer, which some critics described as 'the weakest in Lokesh's filmography.' Still, the teaser generated an immediate spike of USD 85,000 in pre-sales, proving Rajinikanth's pull remains unmatched among the Tamil diaspora and action cinema fans abroad.

While Coolie rides on Lokesh Kanagaraj's high-octane filmmaking and Rajinikanth's charisma, War 2 has the potential to pick up pace closer to release.

Industry insiders believe its pan-India appeal, massive marketing push, and the Hrithik-Jr NTR pairing could drive strong last-minute sales, especially in domestic markets.

Both films release on August 14, 2025, setting the stage for an epic box office showdown. For now, overseas numbers clearly show Rajinikanth's Coolie taking a commanding early lead mdash and it remains to be seen if War 2 can turn the tide in the final stretch.

Coolie and War 2 cast

The Tamil action thriller will be headlined by Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, and Aamir Khan. The film also features Shruti Haasan, Upendra Rao, Sathyaraj, and Pooja Hegde in prominent roles.

As for Ayan Mukerji's directorial, the film features Hrithik Roshan, Kiara Advani, and Jr NTR in the lead. The movie will also see Ashutosh Rana reprise his character from the first installment.

Both the movies will see a theatrical release on August 14.