As the buzz around Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna’s latest film Pushpa 2 – The Rule begins to wane, the spotlight now shifts to Ram Charan and Shankar’s much-anticipated offering, Game Changer. This political thriller marks Ram Charan’s first solo hero film in five years and his first release since the Oscar-winning RRR with SS Rajamouli and NTR Jr. With just three days left until its release, the film also stars Kiara Advani and SJ Suryah.
Since the trailer dropped a few days ago, the film has been witnessing significant growth in its pre-release collections. Now, with AMC—one of the largest cinema chains in the United States—opening its doors for the film, the momentum is expected to rise even further. Trade experts predict that the film will surpass the $1 million mark in collections before the premiere shows officially kick off. So far, Game Changer has already grossed $625,000 (₹5.35 crore) in North America, with $575,000 from the U.S. and the remainder from Canadian screens.
Advance booking for the film in India also began today, and tickets worth ₹65 lakh, including block bookings, have already been sold. By the end of the day, the film is expected to have crossed a couple of crores in advance sales.
However, the film’s release in Tamil Nadu encountered a minor hurdle, as production house Lyca Productions reached out to the Tamil Producers Council, requesting them to halt the film’s release. Lyca reportedly wants director Shankar to complete and release Indian 3 first. Despite this, sources indicate that Game Changer will have a smooth release in the state.
Game Changer is Shankar’s first release since the underwhelming performance of Indian 2, the sequel to the 1997 blockbuster Indian starring Kamal Haasan. While Indian 2 managed decent numbers, it failed to match the scale of its investment. This has led to speculation that Indian 3 might release directly on OTT platforms. However, Shankar is optimistic that the success of Game Changer will pave the way for Indian 3 to secure a theatrical release.
