The Indian film industry is all set for one of the biggest box office clashes of 2025. On 14 August 2025, two massive films will release on the same day — War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, and Kiara Advani, and Coolie, starring superstar Rajinikanth. Both movies are high-budget productions with huge fan followings, and both are expected to make a big splash at the box office.
However, early trends from worldwide advance bookings suggest that Rajinikanth’s Coolie is already way ahead of War 2, at least in the North American market. Even though advance bookings in India have not started yet, international numbers are giving us a clear picture of the competition.
Coolie Creates History in North America
According to trade reports, Coolie has taken a massive jump in North American advance bookings. The film has already earned $1.06 million from ticket pre-sales in the region. This makes Coolie the fastest Tamil film ever to cross the $1 million mark in North American advance bookings.
Breaking down the numbers:
- United States earnings: $850,000
- Tickets sold in the US: Over 35,000
- Theatre count in North America: 430 locations
- Total shows planned: 1,147
This achievement places Coolie in an elite league of Tamil films that have done exceptionally well overseas. Only a few other Tamil blockbusters have managed similar or better figures in pre-sales:
- Kabali (2016) – $1.92 million
- Leo (2023) – $1.86 million
With Coolie already touching $1.06 million and still days away from release, it is now the third-highest Tamil pre-seller in North America.
War 2 Struggles in Advance Bookings
On the other side of the box office battlefield, War 2 seems to be lagging behind in North American advance ticket sales. The Yash Raj Films production, directed by Ayan Mukerji, has so far collected $168,000 from advance bookings across 582 locations and 1,585 shows in North America.
From this total, $150,900 comes from the United States alone. While these numbers aren’t small, they look modest compared to the storm Coolie is creating in the same market.
If the current pace continues, trade experts predict that War 2 might not even touch the $1 million mark in North American pre-sales — a milestone Coolie crossed more than 10 days before release.
Why Coolie is Leading the Race
Several factors explain Coolie’s strong performance in advance bookings:
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Rajinikanth’s Global Fan Base – Rajinikanth is not just a superstar in India; he is a phenomenon in many overseas markets, especially in the US, Malaysia, Singapore, and parts of the Middle East. His films often open to record-breaking numbers abroad.
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Director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Reputation – Lokesh Kanagaraj has delivered back-to-back hits like Master, Vikram, and Leo. His brand of mass action thrillers attracts huge interest from fans.
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Tamil Diaspora Audience – Tamil-speaking audiences in North America are known for supporting major Tamil releases in a big way, often buying tickets in bulk for first-day-first-show screenings.
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Early Booking Strategies – Distributors for Coolie started their North American pre-sales earlier than War 2, giving the film a head start in ticket sales.
War 2’s Strengths – Why It Can Still Bounce Back
While War 2 is currently trailing in North American pre-sales, it would be a mistake to count it out completely. The film has several advantages that could help it recover in the Indian market:
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Pan-India Appeal – War 2 is releasing in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil simultaneously, expanding its potential audience.
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Star Power Combo – Hrithik Roshan’s massive Bollywood following combined with Jr NTR’s South Indian stardom gives the film strong appeal across regions.
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YRF Spy Universe – As part of the YRF Spy Universe (Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai, Pathaan, War, Tiger 3), War 2 benefits from an established fan base and brand recognition.
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Action Spectacle – Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film promises some of the most ambitious action set pieces ever filmed in India, shot across multiple countries with Hollywood stunt teams.
Independence Day Clash – High Stakes for Both Films
The 14 August release date is no accident. It’s the day before India’s Independence Day, which is a public holiday and one of the most lucrative times of the year for Bollywood and South Indian cinema.
With a four-day extended weekend (Thursday to Sunday), both films stand to gain huge numbers from opening weekend collections. However, sharing the same release date also means direct competition for screens and audience attention.
Historically, clashes between two big-budget films often result in divided box office earnings. But sometimes, when both films are strong, they can perform well together — as seen with Gadar 2 and OMG 2 in 2023.
Overseas Markets Will Matter
In today’s film business, overseas box office earnings are almost as important as domestic collections. For Coolie, strong North American numbers could help boost its total worldwide gross significantly, especially if the trend continues in other markets like the UK, UAE, Australia, and Singapore.
For War 2, even if overseas bookings are slow now, the film could still perform strongly in the domestic Indian market, where its Hindi-language dominance will give it an edge over Coolie in North India.
What Trade Experts Are Saying
Industry trackers believe that while Coolie will likely dominate overseas markets, War 2 could still take the lead in India once bookings open. However, the fact that Coolie is already breaking records abroad shows the power of South Indian cinema’s global reach.
Trade analysts also point out that War 2’s numbers could pick up dramatically once the marketing campaign intensifies closer to release, especially with rumours of surprise cameos from stars like Shah Rukh Khan.
The Clash to Watch
The Coolie vs War 2 box office battle is shaping up to be one of the most exciting clashes in recent years. With Rajinikanth’s star power on one side and Hrithik Roshan & Jr NTR’s explosive pairing on the other, movie lovers are in for a treat this Independence Day weekend.
For now, Coolie is winning the advance booking war overseas, but the final box office result will depend heavily on how both films perform in the first four days after release.
Whether you’re Team Coolie or Team War 2, one thing is certain — 14 August 2025 is going to be a festival at the cinemas.
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