The hype for Coolie, Rajinikanth’s next big Tamil action flick, is off the charts, and the latest scoop is just pouring fuel on the fire. According to a June 25, 2025, report from OTTplay, the Telugu theatrical rights for the movie got scooped up for a mind-blowing ₹46 crore plus GST by a trio of big-name producers: Sunil Narang, Suresh Babu, and Dil Raju. Narang, still riding the high of Kuberaa’s success, led the deal, with Asian Cinemas tossing in some serious cash. This record-smashing price shows just how pumped everyone is for director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s first team-up with the Superstar, hitting theaters on August 14, 2025.
Coolie is looking like a total pan-Indian beast. Rajinikanth’s front and center, with whispers he might be playing a bad guy for the first time, and he’s got a killer crew with him—Nagarjuna as the main villain, Shruti Haasan, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, and even a cameo from Aamir Khan. Anirudh Ravichander’s tunes are already getting people hyped, with the first single, “Chikitu,” dropping today, June 25, at 6 PM. Telugu fans are especially stoked, thanks to Nagarjuna’s recent Kuberaa raking in over ₹50 crore, and Lokesh’s hot streak with Vikram and Leo lighting up Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Even with NTR Jr. and Hrithik Roshan’s War 2 dropping the same day, Coolie’s Telugu rights still went for a fortune.
This thing’s blowing up worldwide, too. Pinkvilla and Times of India say the overseas rights sold for ₹68 crore, second only to Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayagan at ₹75 crore. Some outlets, like Only Kollywood, are even saying it hit ₹80 crore, a new record for Rajini. With a ₹375 crore budget, the team’s already clawed back ₹230-240 crore from satellite, digital, and music deals, per Pinkvilla. And get this—News18 claims Rajinikanth’s paycheck is a whopping ₹260-280 crore, making him Asia’s highest-paid actor for this one.
They’ve wrapped shooting after a bunch of schedules, and now Coolie’s in post-production, gearing up for a huge release in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi (called Majadoor), and more. The buzz is that it could pull in ₹1000 crore globally, maybe even becoming Kollywood’s biggest hit of 2025. With “Chikitu” dropping tonight and a trailer on the way, Coolie’s not just a film—it’s a full-on vibe. Get ready for Rajinikanth to own the big screen again on August 14, 2025.