For Rajinikanth, whose films command a following across several international territories, the pre-release numbers are particularly worth watching. The challenge for his latest outing is not just to generate a strong opening, but to build on the expectations created by a predecessor that became one of Tamil cinema’s major commercial successes.

The advance-booking momentum for Nelson’s Jailer 2 has gathered pace overseas, with the film crossing the $1 million mark in international pre-sales ahead of its October 15 theatrical release, according to reports. The United States is reportedly leading the overseas market, followed by the UAE, the United Kingdom, Australia and key European territories. As per reports overseas advance sales have crossed Rs 11 crore.

However, these figures refer to overseas pre-sales and should not be read as the film’s total worldwide advance collection. Domestic bookings are still in their early stages, with ticket sales opening across theatres in phases. Advanced bookings have opened across major theatres on Saturday, while Kerala is expecting a separate booking window scheduled for Sunday.

The overseas performance also brings Coolie, Rajinikanth’s previous release, into the record conversation. The next benchmark for Jailer 2 would be to surpass the overseas advance-booking performance of the Lokesh Kanagaraj directorial. Whether it manages to do so will depend on how sales build as more shows become available in the days leading up to release.

Produced by Kalanithi Maran under the Sun Pictures banner, Jailer 2 features Ramya Krishnan, Yogi Babu and Mirnaa among its returning cast, alongside newcomers including SJ Suryah, Vidya Balan, Mithun Chakraborty and Suraj Venjaramoodu. Mohanlal and Shivarajkumar also return to the franchise. The film is scheduled to release in theatres worldwide on October 15, with its domestic advance sales and opening-day collections now set to draw closer scrutiny.