Suriya’s much-awaited action drama Retro has opened to a lukewarm response in the USA as advance bookings for its premiere shows remain modest. With just seven days left for its grand release, the film has managed to collect $3,670 from selling nearly 200 tickets across 27 shows. While Suriya commands a strong fan following in the overseas market, especially among the Tamil diaspora, the initial numbers suggest a relatively subdued start.His last release Kanguva had an advance booking of US $ 172,000 and ended it’s theatrical run with a collection of US $ 739,000.
In sharp contrast, Telugu star Nani’s upcoming thriller HIT 3which is also set to premiere on the same day, has been trending strongly in advance sales. The film has already grossed $115,000 across 300 locations The difference in early booking trends highlights the disparity in the current buzz surrounding both films.Also Nani’s film has an edge as the film is a franchise which has already established its fan base and its advance booking opened much before Suriya’s next.
Moreover, HIT 3 has the added advantage of a widespread release strategy, with its breakeven target in the USA set at a steep $2.3 million due to its aggressive promotional spend and wide location count. In comparison, Retro’s USA release appears more modest in scale, both in terms of screen count and pre-release buzz.
However, industry trackers are hopeful that Retro might witness a pickup in advance bookings closer to the weekend, especially in cities with a strong Tamil-speaking population. The film’s performance over the first weekend will be crucial in determining its overall prospects in the overseas market.
For now, though, it’s Nani’s HIT 3 that’s clearly leading the pre-release race in the USA, while Suriya’s Retro will need a significant surge in the coming days to catch up.Retro has been directed by Karthik subbaraj and stars Pooja hegde , Shriya saran , Prakash Raj and Nassar.
