The much-awaited War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, and Kiara Advani, has opened to a solid start at the North American box office. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the high-octane YRF Spy Universe entry registered USD 1.417 million on its first day, including Telugu collections of USD 605,000. The film had already built strong momentum with its premiere shows, raking in USD 925,000 (with Telugu contributing USD 500,000). By Day 2, till 9 a.m. IST, War 2 had added another USD 520,000, taking its cumulative to USD 1.93 million ( Rs 16.94 crore).This is an impressive debut for a Hindi-language action spectacle in North America, reaffirming Hrithik Roshan’s overseas pull and Jr NTR’s pan-India reach following RRR and Devara : Part 1. The Telugu version’s contribution highlights the film’s crossover appeal, aided by Jr NTR’s global fan base. Kiara Advani’s presence, coupled with Mukerji’s stylish vision, has also made the film a hot ticket among younger audiences.However, comparisons with Rajinikanth’s Coolie which released on the same day are inevitable. Lokesh Kanagaraj’s directorial, headlined by the Superstar alongside Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Sathyaraj, Shruti Haasan, and Rachita Ram, stormed the North American box office with USD 3.04 million from premieres alone. It followed this with USD 95,000 on Day 1 and USD 720,000 by Day 2 morning, taking its total to USD 4.67 million within just 48 hours.The comparison shows Coolie clearly ahead of War 2 in terms of North American box office pace. While War 2 touched USD 1,93 million by its second day morning, Coolie had already breached the USD 4.5 million mark in the same timeframe, even going on to surpass Kabali’s nine-year-old record of USD 4.44 million lifetime. In comparison War 2 had more walk-ins over Coolie but Rajinikanth’s film earned more as it had a heavy advance booking in place. Industry observers believe the two films cater to slightly different audiences. Coolie thrives on Rajinikanth’s massive diaspora fanbase and Lokesh’s cult following, particularly in Tamil-speaking regions, while War 2 is a Hindi-Telugu bilingual juggernaut backed by the strength of YRF’s Spy Universe. The latter’s box office legs will depend on how well it performs across both North Indian and South Indian diaspora markets.Ultimately, War 2 has delivered a strong opening, but Rajinikanth’s Coolie still holds the crown for the biggest Tamil (and pan-Indian) storm at the North American box office this season. With both films in play, the overseas box office is witnessing one of its most exciting clashes in years.
