Hyderabad: With the Indian Independence Day weekend approaching, cinephiles are gearing up for a big battle at the box office, with two of the most awaited films of 2025 – Rajinikanth’s Coolie and Hrithik Roshan-Jr NTR’s War 2. Both action-packed entertainers are slated for a grand worldwide release on August 14.Both the movies are creating a lot of buzz and a lot of fanfare, but according to early trending data, it seems that Rajinikanth’s Coolie is already establishing itself as a clear winner, especially internationally. Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie is set to create history at the international box office, with strong pre-sales and audience anticipation.Overseas Advance BookingsAs per a report by industry tracker Sacnilk, Coolie has already surpassed $2 million in overseas advance ticket sales, including $1.25 million from North America alone. Coolie has also performed quite well in the rest of the Gulf countries as well as Malaysia, Singapore, and the UK, where more than 20,000 tickets have already sold out.With expectations running high and tremendous interest in Tamil-speaking regions based abroad, Coolie is viewed as the biggest international release for Kanagaraj thus far.
Meanwhile, War 2, directed by Ayan Mukerji and produced by Yash Raj Films, is also performing quite well in international territories but at a slower pace. In North America, for example, advance sales for War 2 are approximately $300,000, with projections of a strong rise closer to the release date.Trade analysts believe that, while War 2 is popular with Hindi and Telugu speaking audiences, particularly due to Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR as key actors, Coolie’s mass-market tone, vintage Rajinikanth avatar, and Lokesh’s signature action style is having more resonance with audiences abroad.
About CoolieThe gangster action drama Coolie follows a mysterious man who takes on a corrupt syndicate exploiting labourers in a port town. With Rajinikanth in a retro mass role, the film also features Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Aamir Khan, and more. Produced by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures, the film has music by Anirudh Ravichander, cinematography by Girish Gangadharan, and editing by Philomin Raj. It will release in standard, D-Box, and 4DX formats.
About War 2On the other side, War 2 serves as the sixth instalment in the YRF Spy Universe, and is a direct sequel to the 2019 hit War. The film brings together Hrithik Roshan reprising his role as Kabir, and Jr NTR making his Bollywood debut, alongside Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor, and Ashutosh Rana. With an estimated budget of Rs 400 crore, War 2 is touted as one of the most expensive Indian films ever made, and will be released in IMAX, 4DX, D-Box, Dolby Cinema, and other premium formats