Jailer 2 faces a $7 million test in North America as Dharman eyes Pongal 2027

Superstar Rajinikanth has two big projects moving at once, and both are drawing plenty of attention. Jailer 2, in which he returns as Muthuvel Pandian, is set for theatres on October 15. His 173rd film, Dharman, is reportedly targeting a Pongal 2027 release.

Reports say the overseas rights for Jailer 2 have gone to Shloka Entertainments, with the North American rights alone valued at Rs 28 crore. That price reportedly sets a break-even target of around $7 million in gross collections across the USA and Canada, which works out to roughly Rs 67 crore at current estimates.

The franchise has history on its side. The first Jailer reportedly earned about $6.83 million over its full North American run, so the sequel has to go a step further. His last release, Coolie, was said to carry a break-even mark near $7.5 million, which places Jailer 2 among the biggest North American targets for a Rajinikanth film. Good word of mouth could decide the outcome.

Nelson Dilipkumar directs Jailer 2, and Kalanithi Maran produces it under the Sun Pictures banner. The cast reportedly includes Mithun Chakraborty, SJ Suryah, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Ramya Krishnan and Vidya Balan.

Dharman is directed by Ashwath Marimuthu and backed by Kamal Haasan's Raaj Kamal Films International. The project brings the two longtime friends together in an unusual star and producer pairing. According to reports, shooting began in June and the team is now gearing up for key action sequences. Anirudh Ravichander is composing the music, and Simran and Raashii Khanna are part of the cast.

Telugu fans have an extra reason to follow this one. Ram Pothineni has reportedly joined Dharman in an important role, and some reports suggest he may be placed opposite Rajinikanth, though details of his character are still under wraps. The film is described as a family thriller with commercial elements, and it will arrive in a Pongal window that is already filling up with big Tamil and Telugu releases.