Superstar Rajinikanth's latest Tamil action-thriller, "Jailer," has emerged as the biggest grosser of 2023 in the UAE, surpassing Barbie's box office performance. Since its release on August 10, "Jailer" has earned an impressive $6.44 million at the UAE box office. In its opening week alone, the film's earnings exceeded the total collections of Shah Rukh Khan's "Pathaan," the leading earner in the UAE during the first half of the year.

The film's success was particularly evident during its opening weekend, with 243,123 cinema admissions recorded, three times more than Barbie's 81,757 ticket receipts. "Jailer" also achieved success across the GCC region, amassing over 412,000 admissions in its first four days of release.

The movie's triumph prompted its makers to release the Hindi and Telugu versions of "Jailer" in the UAE. The film features appearances by A-list stars such as Malayalam veteran Mohanlal and Kannada cinema's Shiva Rajkumar.

While "Jailer" proved its box office dominance, Barbie's delayed release in the UAE and Saudi Arabia didn't dampen its pre-screening hype. Despite facing competition from Bollywood and South Indian releases like "Gadar 2," Barbie generated impressive ticket pre-sales.

On the global stage, Margot Robbie-led Barbie has already crossed the $1.2 billion mark at the box office. Despite not toppling Rajinikanth and Shah Rukh Khan in the UAE, Barbie is poised to become the highest grossing film of 2023 in the US.