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There is no doubt that September 5 will be a festive celebration that will rival the likes of a Diwali or New Year’s. It is not just the day we celebrate our teachers, but our Vaathi too. Venkat Prabhu’s The Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) marks Vijay’s penultimate film before he hangs up his acting boots to switch careers to active politics. The hype is unreal and the film is expected to have a blockbuster opening that might break quite a few records on the way. Raahul of Romeo Pictures, who is distributing the film in Tamil Nadu, shared that the film would be released in every theatre in the state. Even if there are a few misses here and there, the film will be hitting at least 1000 screens making it one of the widest releases of a Tamil film in recent times. An industry tracker, who wishes to remain anonymous, said, “Kabali was the last film to face such a hype among the audience. GOAT is the biggest Tamil film release this year, and it will overcome the extended slump for theatres since last year’s Leo.”
It is Leo’s numbers that are in jeopardy as the AGS Entertainment-backed GOAT is breaking new territories, especially outside India. Talking to us, Gulzar Begum, managing director of XGen Studio shared that the film is opening in many countries, opening up the market for Tamil cinema in newer regions. “GOAT will open in 500+ theatres in the US, 200+ in the UK, and 350+ in the rest of Europe. We are also releasing the film in 18 countries in the African continent, including Zambia, Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, and Botswana. We are also planning a massive release in the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. This is undoubtedly the biggest film of the year,” said Gulzar, adding that the film will also have a strong presence in countries like Russia, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Armenia, Kyrgystan, Georgia, and Moldova.
Considering the wide release of the film, the opening numbers are expected to come close to the coveted Rs 100 crore mark, which will be a massive boost in the arm for Tamil cinema, which has been lying low this year. GOAT is expected to open the floodgates for Rajinikanth’s Vettaiyan, Ajith Kumar’s Vidaa Muyarchi, and Suriya’s Kanguva expected to follow suit.
ALSO READ | GOAT Release and Review Live Updates: Vijay-starrer on track for a blockbuster opening
Apart from the wide global release, GOAT is also set to have a really massive screen count in states like Karnataka and Kerala. With Sree Gokulam Movies distributing the film in Kerala, the company revealed that GOAT would release in over 700 screens and run 4000 shows on Day 1. This is an unprecedented number in the state, and it shows the box-office pull of Vijay, who has earned a spot in the hearts of Malayalam audiences.
While things seem to be going well, there are issues cropping up in sections of Tamil Nadu where the agreement between the theatre owners and distributors are yet to be signed. It is said that there is a major issue going on regarding the share percentage between the stakeholders, and it is expected to be resolved before the first show of GOAT on September 5.
However, the Hindi version of GOAT, titled Thalapathy the GOAT, has run into the old issue of multiplexes not signing on the dotted line. Noted film analyst Taran Adarsh said, “No Hindi release at National Chains. The Hindi version of GOAT, starring Thalapathy Vijay, is not releasing in the National chains like PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis, in North India.” He shared that since the national chains require all new Hindi films to maintain an 8-week gap between their theatrical release and their premiere on OTT platforms, the agreement fell out between the makers and them. However, the Tamil and Telugu versions of the film would run in their theatres in the South.
This would result in a considerable dent in the final figures of GOAT, considering how the South Indian films that made massive numbers in India did it on the back of its Hindi version also raking in the money. However, the foreign territories are expected to pull above its weight, and bring the money to compensate for losses in other places. “We are expecting the film to open to over Rs 30 crores on Day 1,” says Gulzar, adding that it is Vijay’s focus on catering to all kinds of audience that makes him a sureshot success at the box office. “When an actor caters to all age groups, then winning hearts is what will happen automatically. His comic timing, and his holistic approach to films ensures his family audience are as satisfied with the product as his hardcore fans.”
With the Government Order finally coming in that Tamil Nadu theatres can begin their show at 9 am, and finish the maximum allotted fifth show by 2 am, all the roadblocks for the film’s release have been removed. But the runtime of 183 minutes might act as a deterrent for theatres. The earliest shows in India are in Kerala, and Karnataka where the film will be screened from 4 am.
With Vijay just having one more film in his kitty, all eyes are on the performance of GOAT. The film has a grand ensemble featuring the likes of Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan, Jayaram, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Laila, Sneha, Ajmal, and Yogi Babu. It is also getting a solo release with a two-week window where no big film would be clashing alongside. But it is also not having the famed “Lokesh Cinematic Universe” tag that has been creating magic in the Tamil cinema box-office with films like Vikram and Leo becoming massive successes. Nevertheless, as AGS Entertainment head Archana Kalpathi said, “People are going to come to the theatre and ask for a Vijay film ticket. They don’t care about the name of the film itself. That is Vijay sir’s stardom.” It is this stardom that will face its litmus test on Thursday, but from what is being anticipated by the trade, Vijay might just once again prove that he is the most saleable star in Tamil cinema right now.
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