Mohanlal's L2: Empuraan, the sequel to Lucifer, is already making waves with its record-breaking advance sales for a Malayalam film in North America.
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With nine days remaining before its premiere, the film has grossed $151K in advance ticket sales - the highest ever for a Malayalam movie in the region.
In the USA alone, Empuraan has earned around $37,000 from 1,700 tickets. Meanwhile, in Canada, it has grossed C$115K from 4,400 tickets. This strong start indicates high excitement for the film, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran.
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While Telugu and Hindi films have dominated North America in recent years, Empuraan's success could mark a turning point for Malayalam cinema in the US.
While Indian films are gaining more global appeal, Telugu movies haven't always been profitable for distributors. High acquisition costs often create financial risks. For instance, Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2: The Rule had a break-even target of $15 million and barely crossed that mark.
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So Empuraan opening to such great numbers means that the US audience is now accepting Malayalam films on a big scale as well.
With impressive pre-sales and growing anticipation, Empuraan appears poised for a strong debut in the US. Whether it can set new benchmarks for Malayalam cinema's global reach will be revealed when the final box office numbers arrive.