Trade predicts box-office frenzy over the extended weekend with ‘Coolie’ projected to open at Rs 50 crore and ‘War 2’ at Rs 20 crore
Rajinikanth in ‘Coolie’; (right) Hrithik Roshan in ‘War 2’.
Saiyaara’s success brought cheer to the box office. Now, all eyes are on War 2 and Coolie, and they are set to deliver. The advance booking of the Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR-starrer, which opened on August 10, recorded sales of about 1.26 lakh tickets on the first day. Trade insiders predict that the spy thriller’s first day collection will be in the range of Rs 15-20 crore, across languages.
Despite its solid start, War 2 is slower compared to Rajinikanth’s Coolie that is expected to open at R50 crore across languages. Ticket prices reflect the frenzy around director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s film that will be released in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada. In Bengaluru, tickets are reportedly being sold in black for as high as R4500 for the first show.
Trade analyst Girish Wankhede is confident that Coolie — also starring Nagarjuna — is a “sure shot blockbuster”. He tells mid-day, “There is big craze surrounding Coolie, and by Sunday night, the film will probably make R100 crore. War 2 will be a bigger rage in multiplexes than single screens. Also, the film’s quality will determine its lifetime collections. Coolie won’t depend on word of mouth, it will work regardless.”
A lucrative weekend at the theatres is imminent, says trade analyst Taran Adarsh. “War 2 is slow for now, but it will have strong spot bookings on August 14. With Friday being a holiday, its numbers will skyrocket because the film has two big stars and is a loved franchise. It will be a win-win weekend.”
1.26 L
Number of ‘War 2’ tickets sold on the first day of its advance booking
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