Bollywood
War 2 Box Office Woes: Hrithik Roshan, Jr. NTR's Actioner Set To Finish As The Lowest YRF Spy Universe Grosser Domestically
Mumbai, September 2 - When War (2019) exploded at the box office with nearly 475 crore worldwide, it set the bar sky-high for its sequel. Expectations grew even bigger when Yash Raj Films announced the addition of Telugu superstar Jr. NTR alongside Hrithik Roshan, making War 2 one of the most anticipated films of Spy Universe. Everything was going well as the industry was in the joyce mood three weeks before in the anticipation of the film's box office juggernaut. And then came D-Day, and despite the hype, the film gave a little shock to the trade with the lower-than-expected opening. This little shock soon turned into an utter disappointment as the film could never recover from its underwhelming opening. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film is in its third week of box office run, and it can be said that it has fallen short of expectations, and fallen short by miles, as it is now set to finish as the lowest-grossing film in the franchise at the domestic box office in its original Hindi version. War 2's Box office Struggle After the underwhelming but still respectable opening weekend of 191+ crores gross, including 153 crores in Hindi, War 2 lost momentum completely at the domestic box office as it fell like a deck of cards without putting up any fight. After 19 days, the film has grossed only 280 crores, including 212 crores (176+ crores net) in Hindi in India. Domestically, War 2 will end below the lifetime collection of Salman Khan-fronted Ek Tha Tiger, which was the first film in the YRF Spy Universe. ETT was released more than a decade ago in 2012, and despite the much lower ticket prices and no franchise advantage, the movie grossed over 263 crores (198+ crores net) domestically in Hindi. With War 2 nearing its end, it will end up as the weakest domestic performer in the Spy Universe, a sharp contrast to the roaring success of its predecessor. Even in all versions (including Telugu and Tamil), War 2 has barely managed to cross Ek Tha Tiger domestically, while at the worldwide box office, it will end up as the second lowest grosser in the Spy Universe, only ahead of ETT, which grossed 320 crores worldwide. The Bigger Picture The YRF Spy Universe has been home to some of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters, from Ek Tha Tiger to Pathaan. War 2 was expected to build on that momentum, but its struggle highlights the risks of relying too heavily on franchise value and star power without equally strong storytelling. War 2 is far from the box office monster fans hoped for. As it ends up as the lowest domestic grosser in the Spy Universe, the pressure now shifts to upcoming instalments like Alpha, Pathaan 2, to restore the franchise's dominance. Stay tuned...
