Now in its second weekend of release, the Indian tentpole filmKalki 2898 ADisaiming to pass the coveted $100 million mark worldwidein the next day or two. Described as a dystopian science-fiction epic that borrows heavily from Hindu mythology,Kalki 2898 ADhada record-breaking opening weekend, followed by sustained success in its home country across its first week of release. It’s now poised to become the first Indian film in six months to hit the $100 million box office milestone, following December’s controversialAnimal.
Unlike that film, however,Kalki 2898 ADreceived mostlypositive reviews— it has an 81%Rotten Tomatoesscore — and attracted zero negative press for its content. The movie starsPrabhas— best known for the two Baahubali films — as a bounty hunter tasked with capturing a woman named Sumathi, who happens to be pregnant with a prophesied messiah.Inspired just as heavily by Star Wars as it is bythe Mahabharata,Kalki 2898 ADis also reportedly themost expensive Indian film ever produced. But witharound $96 million in the bank so far globally— the production house Vyjayanthi Movies reported worldwide figures of ₹800 crore on Saturday — the movie has already recovered its reported production budget of around $75 million.
Directed byNag Ashwin, whopromoted the film at last year’s San Diego Comic Conwith Prabhas,Kalki 2898 ADalwaysaimed to replicate the success ofS.S. Rajamouli’sRRR, which rode a wave of positivity in 2022 to win an Oscar. It also served as an introduction to mainstream Indian cinema for a new generation of Western audiences. This weekend,Kalki 2898 ADwould hope to overtakeRRR’s $15 million lifetime domestic haul, havingalready grossed $11 million in its first five days of release in North America. The top-grossing Indian film in North America remains Prabhas and Rajamouli’ ownBaahubali 2: The Conclusion, which grossed $20 million in 2017.
Prabhas' Films Are In a League of Their Own At the Global Box Office
WithKalki 2898 AD,the superstar has re-established his dominance after over half-a-decade of disappointing results. AfterBaahubali 2, Prabhas starred in a series ofbig-budget dudsuntil last year’sSalaar: Part 1 — Ceasefire, which emerged as his first real hit in six years. He has now delivered three of the top five global opening day hauls in the history of Indian films. This weekend,Kalki 2898 ADwill join last year’s back-to-backShah Rukh KhanblockbustersJawanandPathaan, and the controversialAnimal, in having passed the $100 million milestone. It still has some way to go before it’s able to match (or surpass)RRRandBaahubali 2’s $170 million and $215 million lifetime global hauls, however.
Kalki 2898 ADwasreleased in multiple Indian languages,as is the normfor movies of this size. India has numerous local-language film industries that don’t often intermingle, although this has been changing after the pandemic, when streaming introduced audiences across the country to films from different regions. In a very rare occurrence,Kalki 2898 ADwill compete against another Indian film—the brutal action thrillerKill— at the domestic box office this weekend. Also starringAmitabh Bachchan,Deepika PadukoneandKamal Haasan,Kalki 2898 ADis playing in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Kalki 2898 AD
In a dystopian future, society is on the brink of collapse, ruled by corrupt powers exploiting technology and religion. A mysterious figure emerges, believed by some to be the prophesized warrior destined to overthrow the tyrants and restore balance. As he gathers followers, his quest becomes a symbol of hope for the oppressed, challenging the very fabric of the corrupt regime.
