Lower day-one sales for the War 2 game in the spy universe could potentially mark a historical low.
The much-anticipated film War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, has been released, but its performance at the box office has been less than promising so far.
Despite the excitement among fans about Hrithik Roshan's return as Kabir and Jr NTR's debut in the spy universe, the film has received mixed reviews from critics, which could impact its day-to-day performance.
War 2 opened with approximately Rs 30 crore nett in Hindi and Telugu versions each, but its domestic gross on Day 1 is lower than Ek Tha Tiger's lowest opener in the spy universe. The film's performance on opening day does not appear to be sufficiently promising to match Tiger 3's benchmark.
By its seventh day, War 2 surpassed the lifetime domestic earnings of Ek Tha Tiger, which had collected ₹198.78 crore. War 2 amassed around ₹204.25 crore in India after 8 days. However, compared to other recent YRF Spy Universe films like Tiger 3 and Tiger Zinda Hai, War 2 has underperformed.
The underperformance factors for War 2 include its exceptionally high budget (about ₹350 crore), making it the most expensive YRF spy universe film, thus raising expectations. Mixed reviews and average word-of-mouth led to declining daily collections after the initial weekend. The importance of the Telugu version (featuring Jr NTR) adds complexity to the box office, but the overall reception did not sustain growth.
Tiger 3 also faced issues due to its unusual Sunday release that affected opening weekend growth, though it maintained healthy collections afterward. Comparatively, Tiger Zinda Hai earned ₹318.01 crore on a ₹170 crore budget, which was very successful.
The holiday following Independence Day could make or break War 2's performance. The real test for War 2 will be sustaining momentum after the holiday boost.
War 2's post-credit scene teases a new film titled Alpha, starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari. Despite the excitement for what's to come, the immediate future for War 2 looks uncertain.
Sources:
- Bollywood Hungama
- India Today
- Box Office India
- The Indian Express
- Hindustan Times
While War 2's initial box office performance has been relatively low compared to other YRF Spy Universe movies like Tiger 3 and Tiger Zinda Hai, it managed to surpass the lifetime domestic earnings of Ek Tha Tiger in just eight days. However, the film's mixed reviews, high budget, and declining daily collections after the initial weekend have raised concerns about its long-term success, especially with the competition from other movies-and-tv releases in the entertainment arena like cinema and television. The future of War 2 seems uncertain despite the anticipation for its post-credit scene featuring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari in the upcoming movie Alpha.
