Rajinikanth’s Coolie Loses Steam in North America as War 2 Catches Up

Superstar Rajinikanth’s Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, released on August 14 and opened to thunderous numbers in North America, setting advance sales records and raking in over $6 million in its opening weekend. Interestingly, the Telugu version alone contributed more than $1.5 million to the tally.

But after the blockbuster weekend, the film has struggled to maintain momentum.

From Monday onwards, Hrithik Roshan and NTR’s War 2, which also released on August 14, began outperforming Coolie. On Monday, War 2 collected $128K, edging past Coolie, which earned $115K. The gap widened dramatically on Tuesday, thanks to discount deals—War 2 grossed more than $300K, while Coolie slipped to around $125K.

Despite facing heavy trolling and mixed reviews, War 2 is proving resilient, holding its ground in the competitive market.

Cumulative North America Gross

Coolie: $6.37M
War 2: $3.5M

While Coolie exploded out of the gate and War 2 stumbled initially, both films—released on the same day—have left distributors disappointed. Coolie quickly lost steam after its record-breaking debut, and Ayan Mukerji’s War 2 has yet to fully capitalize on its star power, despite the recent upswing.