The eagerly awaited sequel War 2 featuring Hrithik Roshan and NTR is dealing with an unforeseen problem mere days from its release. Despite the buzz created during the Telugu pre-release event and the film’s star-studded cast, the Hindi advance box office sales are going slower than anticipated.
Big Event, Big Hype – But Slow Ticket Sales
Last night, the Telugu pre-release function of War 2 gathered leading stars Hrithik Roshan, NTR, and a few other unit members. The team discussed the film enthusiastically, exciting fans present there. The function was able to generate buzz on social media, particularly among Telugu fans interested in watching NTR in an expensive Hindi action extravaganza.
But box office figures paint a different picture. Even with the hype, Hindi advance ticket sales have failed to live up to expectations. Overseas bookings just opened for both the Telugu and Hindi dubs, and while the Telugu one was bound to be slow with the Spy Universe franchise having little following in that region, the Hindi ones have taken many by surprise with their disappointing numbers.
Overseas Bookings Also Under Pressure
Globally, War 2 is witnessing lackluster bookings for both the language versions. Experts point out that Telugu viewers are not as well-versed with YRF’s Spy Universe as audiences elsewhere, and that accounts for the weak pull for the Telugu version. But the overseas performance of the Hindi version has been below expectations, especially in markets such as the UAE, USA, and the UK, where large-scale Bollywood action movies tend to perform well.
This can change in the days to come with promotions heating up, but so far, the pre-release hype abroad isn’t doing the business as expected.
The Clash Factor – Coolie’s Impact
One of the key causes of the slowdown is the box office clash with Coolie directly. With a leading South Indian actor, Coolie has already fetched a huge number of screens in the South and has plenty of buzz with fans. The concurrent release is splitting audience attention and impacting advance bookings for War 2, especially in multiplex chains where screen allocation has been competitive.
Industry analysts feel that in the absence of this competition, War 2 might have attained a stronger foothold in theaters, particularly in Tier-1 cities.
Disappointing National Chain Sales
Advance bookings of War 2 in India began on Saturday night. At the last count, the Hindi version has sold around 25,000 tickets at national chains — a modest amount for a film of its size.
In comparison, other all-time Bollywood blockbusters such as Jawan, Pathaan, Pushpa 2, Tiger 3, and Animal all recorded much greater numbers in the same time period. Even this year’s newcomers Sikandar, Saiyaara, and Chhaava have recorded better early sales in their opening week.
With the movie’s high-budget production, star talent, and franchise appeal, these opening numbers are far below expectations.
Opening Day Projections See a Dip
Pre-release projections for War 2 indicated a record ₹50–55 crore opening net in India. However, going by the latest trends in bookings, trade pundits now expect an opening in the range of ₹30 crore.
The only way the film can cross the ₹40 crore+ mark would be if:
- Booking momentum picks up big time over the next three days
- The film gets extremely positive word-of-mouth (WOM) from early shows
The fact that Hrithik Roshan and NTR are present together has the potential to attract fans from various markets, but potential and actual sales have a long way to go at this point.
Why Bookings are Slow?
There could be reasons why advance sales are slow:
- Clash with Coolie: Splitting audience minds and screen share
- Mixed Market Pull: While Hrithik remains a big puller in Hindi markets, NTR’s pull is yet to develop beyond Telugu-speaking belts
- Spy Universe Fatigue: With a slew of high-octane action movies released over the past couple of years, certain audience groups might be expecting reviews before making bookings
- Brevity of Promotional Window: Pre-bookings were announced only a few days ahead of release, keeping minimal time for buzz generation
Although the troubling early figures, a devoted fan base for both Hrithik Roshan and NTR has still not lost hope. Social media discussions, fan cuts, and event footage from the pre-release event have been popular, which shows that the movie still has a solid support base of anxious viewers.
If War 2 provides exciting action, robust performances, and an engaging story, good word-of-mouth will assist in overcoming the poor start and generate a good weekend sum.
The Road Ahead
With just three days remaining for release, everyone waits with bated breath on the trend of advance sales from here onwards. Traditionally, massy Bollywood action movies have witnessed steep booking jumps in the final 48 hours leading to release. If War 2 continues with that trend, it can still surprise on opening day.
The Hindi version’s current figures may be underwhelming, but the combination of Hrithik Roshan’s action charisma and NTR’s massive following in the South could create a solid turnout if early reviews are favorable.
Read Also :- https://newspep.com/2025/08/11/rajinikanths-coolie-eyes-historic-double-digit-opening-across-south-india/
Conclusion
War 2 is one of the most anticipated movies from the YRF Spy Universe, but its Hindi pre-sales are finding it hard to get up to speed with the great expectations created by previous blockbusters. Competition from Coolie, niche appeal in the Telugu market for the Spy franchise, and weakening overseas booking compared to usual times have all combined to result in a guarded pre-release scenario.
But the last word will not come until people see the film in theaters. If the next several days see ticket sales swell and early word-of-mouth turn strong, War 2 might yet reverse its fortunes. Until that happens, the business is holding its breath to see if the film can make up the difference between buzz and actual box office results.
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