This year’s Independence Day is shaping up to be a battleground for two major Indian releases: Lokesh Kanagaraj’s action-packed Coolie, with Rajinikanth in the lead, and Ayan Mukerji’s espionage thriller War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR.
Indian ticket sales haven’t opened yet, but if the US pre-sales are anything to judge by, Coolie has already pulled far ahead.
Coolie Vs War 2: Who’s Winning The Box-Office?
Coolie is off to a remarkable start in North America, crossing the $1 million mark in advance ticket sales faster than any Tamil film before it.
The film currently boasts $1.06 million in pre-sales, with $850,000 coming from US theatres alone and over 35,000 tickets already sold. The movie is set to debut with 1,147 shows across 430 locations in the US, according to Sacnilk.
With these numbers, Coolie joins a select group of Tamil films that have hit the $1 million milestone in North American pre-sales. Other titles in this group include Pa Ranjith’s Kabali (2016), which reached $1.92 million, and Kanagaraj’s own Leo (2023) with $1.86 million.
Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan I (2022) holds the third spot at $1.1 million, just above where Coolie currently stands.
Coolie Vs War 2: North America Pre-Advance Sales
In contrast, War 2 is trailing significantly. The sequel has drawn in $168,000 from 1,585 shows across 582 locations in North America. Of that, $150,900 comes from US theaters.
At this pace, War 2 may struggle to reach the $1 million pre-sale mark that Coolie has already surpassed, well ahead of the August 14 release. Still, War 2 is performing better than Jr NTR’s last big release, Koratala Siva’s Devara, which reached $100,000 in 11 hours, compared to War 2’s seven hours—a new record for an Indian film in North America.
North America Premiere Advances Sales#War2 – $178K [ 10 Days Till Premieres ]#Coolie – $1.06M [ 10 Days Till Premiers ]
Note : Movie Celebrations ki own Money tho war Tankers ni Use Chesina Vaallaki Hero Kosam Tickets Dengaleka pothunnaru Ante Ekkado teda koduthundhi seenu 🤔 pic.twitter.com/R3uBix0jdF
— OMaramanishi♂️_2 (@SantoshTho1361) August 4, 2025
War 2 continues the story from Siddharth Anand’s 2019 hit War. Hrithik Roshan and Ashutosh Rana return, joined by NTR and Kiara Advani.
This film is also Ayan Mukerji’s first major project outside Dharma Productions. War 2 is part of Aditya Chopra’s YRF Spy Universe, which already includes the Tiger series, Pathaan, and the first War.
The next planned entry, Alpha starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, is set for a December 25 release.
Meanwhile, Coolie expands Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), which already features Kaithi, Vikram, and Leo. The cast includes Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, Pooja Hegde, Sathyaraj, and a cameo appearance by Aamir Khan. Both Coolie and War 2 are scheduled for worldwide release on August 14.
