Irrespective of what the box office results will be, 14th August 2025 will see one of the most epic clashes ever. On one hand, you have one of Indian cinema's evergreen superstars in Rajinikanth whose action drama Coolie is set to hit the screens. Apart from the 'Superstar', the film also has 'King' Nagarjuna, 'Real Star' Upendra, Soubin Tahir and Sathyaraj in key roles with Bollywood's iconic Aamir Khan also playing a cameo.
To top it off, Coolie is directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj who is known for executing modernised action thrillers that cater to the youth and veterans alike. Kaithi, Vikram and Leo were all films that thrilled audiences due to its storytelling nuances and stylish presentation. There are also rumours of a possible LCU connect in there. Phew, how is that for HYPE?
On the opposite side is War 2, the sequel to War which was a big blockbuster back in 2019. It features Hrithik Roshan, one of Bollywood's major stars and the Telugu superstar in NTR Jr, with the Spy Universe also put in. Both are known for their action as well as dance, and the film has tapped into both their primary skills, if the promos are anything to go by. All in all, Yash Raj Film will come out all guns blazing with their showcasing of War 2, as they are known to do with all their marquee products.
Advance bookings are always an indicator of the hype and expectations around a film. In this regard, Coolie has taken a big lead in North America over War 2 with three days still left for the premieres. The Rajinikanth-Lokesh project has sold 73228 tickets through Tamil and Telugu versions, with the total advance currently at $1.86M from 500 locations and 1565 shows. The Tamil version has tallied $1.42M while Telugu has clocked $435k so far.
Meanwhile, War 2 has sold 16226 tickets, $435k approximately. from 763 locations and 1977 shows across its Hindi and Telugu versions. Surprisingly, it's the Telugu version ($320k) that's dominating the advances compared to its Hindi counterpart ($115k). The reason for this could be the presence of NTR Jr, as North America is generally a huge market for Telugu films.
These trends could change in the coming days but for now, Coolie looks set for a much better start than War 2 as the North America box office.