Rajinikanth’s Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, has already emerged as a box office juggernaut even before its theatrical release on August 14. The film has earned a staggering ₹376 crore through pre-release business, covering digital, satellite, music, and theatrical rights. This figure not only offsets its massive ₹375 crore production budget but also sets the stage for a highly profitable run. With record-breaking advance bookings in Kerala and North America, Coolie is poised to be one of the biggest Tamil film launches in history.
The digital rights of Coolie were reportedly acquired by Amazon Prime Video for ₹120 crore, making it one of the highest OTT deals in Tamil cinema, tied with Vijay’s Leo4. This deal reflects the immense anticipation surrounding the film and Rajinikanth’s enduring appeal across streaming platforms. The film’s pan-India release in five languages—Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada—has further amplified its reach, ensuring strong post-theatrical viewership.
On the satellite front, Coolie fetched ₹90 crore, while music rights were sold for ₹20 crore, bringing the non-theatrical revenue to ₹230 crore. These figures highlight the film’s multi-platform monetization strategy, which has become a norm for big-budget Indian cinema. With such robust pre-release earnings, the producers have already recovered their investment, and theatrical collections will now contribute directly to profits.
Theatrical rights have also seen unprecedented demand. Overseas rights were sold for ₹86 crore to Hamsini Entertainment, marking the highest-ever international deal for a Tamil film. In India, advance bookings have crossed ₹3 crore in Kerala alone within hours, and North American pre-sales have exceeded ₹12 crore. With national bookings underway and early shows scheduled as early as 6 AM, Coolie is expected to cross ₹100 crore in opening weekend collections, solidifying its status as a global blockbuster.