Jailer 2 crosses Rs 10 crore in Tamil Nadu, can it catch CM Vijay's Leo and GOAT?

Superstar Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 has crossed Rs 10 crore in Tamil Nadu opening-day advance bookings, with nearly two days remaining before its theatrical release. But can the Nelson Dilipkumar directorial catch up with recent Tamil blockbusters such as Vijay's Leo and GOAT? With Chennai leading the pre-sales and the final booking window still open, the sequel has time to narrow the gap with some of the biggest opening-day advance booking records in the state.As per trade tracker Sacnilk’s Day 1 advance booking report, Jailer 2 has collected over Rs 10 crore gross in Tamil Nadu, including block seats. The film has secured bookings across more than 3,300 shows in the state, with over 500 shows already reporting housefull status. With the final stretch of advance sales still ahead, the numbers could see a further jump before the first show begins.Chennai leads Jailer 2 advance bookingsChennai has emerged as the biggest contributor to Jailer 2’s opening-day advance sales in Tamil Nadu. The city has recorded over Rs 4.80 crore gross, including block seats, across more than 1,000 shows. That puts Chennai’s contribution at nearly half of the state’s total, underlining the strong response in Rajinikanth’s home market.Coimbatore has crossed Rs 1 crore gross, including block seats, while Trichy and Madurai have also contributed to the film’s advance booking tally. The overall state-wide figure suggests a healthy level of interest ahead of the sequel’s release. The momentum extends beyond Tamil Nadu. At the all-India level, Jailer 2 has registered over Rs 21 crore gross, including block seats, for Day 1, while the figure stands at over Rs 18 crore without block seats. The film has sold more than 10 lakh tickets for its opening day.Kerala, with over Rs 4.50 crore gross, and Karnataka, with over Rs 4 crore gross, are the next major contributors after Tamil Nadu. The numbers indicate that the Rajinikanth-starrer is drawing substantial advance bookings across key southern markets. The film’s advance sales also look encouraging over its opening stretch. According to Sacnilk’s overall advance booking report, Tamil Nadu has already crossed Rs 23 crore gross, including block seats, for the first four days. The final tally will offer a clearer picture of the film’s opening-weekend prospects.Can Jailer 2 catch Tamil cinema’s biggest openers?Despite crossing the Rs 10-crore mark, Jailer 2 still has some distance to cover if it hopes to match the final Day 1 advance booking figures of recent big-ticket Tamil releases. The comparison below is based on Tamil Nadu opening-day advance bookings, including block seats.MovieYearTamil Nadu Day 1 advance bookingLeo2023Rs 19.57 croreadvertisementGOAT2024Rs 15.60 croreCoolie2025Rs 15.43 croreJana Nayagan2026Rs 13.88 croreVettaiyan2024Rs 12.63 croreJailer 2 (so far)2026Rs 10+ croreAt the current stage, Jailer 2 remains below the final advance booking totals of all five films in the comparison. However, its present figure is not the final tally, and the remaining booking window could change the rankings.The sequel also has the benchmark set by its predecessor to contend with. Jailer (2023), directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and produced by Sun Pictures, collected Rs 23.40 crore gross in Tamil Nadu on its opening day. Whether the sequel can approach or surpass that figure will depend on the final advance sales and the response once the film opens in theatres.The final booking push will be crucialThe last two days before release can be important for a Rajinikanth film, as advance bookings may gather pace closer to the first show. For Jailer 2, the focus will now be on how much the Tamil Nadu tally grows before Thursday’s release, along with the contribution from spot bookings.A strong pre-sales figure can point towards an impressive opening, but it does not guarantee the film’s eventual box office performance. Once the first shows begin, audience word of mouth will become a key factor in determining whether Jailer 2 can sustain its momentum beyond opening day.Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and produced by Sun Pictures, Jailer 2 is the sequel to Rajinikanth’s 2023 blockbuster Jailer. The superstar returns as retired jailer Tiger Muthuvel Pandian, alongside returning cast members Ramya Krishnan, Yogi Babu, Mirnaa, Mohanlal and Shiva Rajkumar. The sequel also features new additions to the franchise, including Vidya Balan, Mithun Chakraborty, SJ Suryah and Suraj Venjaramoodu, with Anirudh Ravichander returning as composer.Jailer 2 is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on October 15, 2026, in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada.- Ends