Director S.S. Rajamouli’s Indian action extravaganza RRR debuted in Japan last week, as it enters the last leg of its year-long global rollout. The film has made nearly half-a-million dollars in Japan in seven days of release, and is expected to turn a profit by its 10th day, the film’s local distributor told Variety. After breaking box office records in India earlier this year, RRR became a word-of-mouth hit in the West, slowly developing a cult following particularly in the United States when it became available on Netflix. The film has since drawn glowing endorsements from leading Hollywood personalities, such as directors James Gunn and Edgar Wright.
Starring Jr. NTR and Ram Charan, RRR tells a fictionalized story about the real-life freedom fighters Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju’s exploits against British colonizers in 1920s India. Budgeted at a reported $70 million, the film has grossed over $145 million globally since its March launch in India, where it remains the year’s second-biggest film (behind the Kannada-language hit K.G.F: Chapter 2) with approximately $115 million in the bank. In North America, the film has made $14.75 million.
According to Variety, Keizo Kabata’s Twin released RRR on 209 screens and in 31 IMAX venues in Japan — the widest ever for an Indian film — where it has grossed $495,000 so far. Rajamouli and his two leading men visited Japan in the run-up to the film’s release and interacted with the press and fans. Twin estimates that the film’s JPY73 million first-week haul is the highest ever for an Indian film in Japan. RRR debuted at the 10th spot on the local box office charts, behind nine Japanese films. It placed ahead of Hollywood titles such as Jurassic World Dominion, The Bad Guys, and Spencer.
Tamil superstar Rajinikanth’s Muthu remains the biggest Indian film of all time in Japan, with a lifetime haul of JPY400 million ($2.7 million). Rajamouli’s own Baahubali 2: The Conclusion ranks number two on the all-time chart for Indian films in Japan, with a lifetime haul of JPY300 million ($2 million), followed by Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots with JPY170 million ($1.1 million).
Twin’s Kabata estimated that Japanese audiences were drawn to the unusual spectacle of RRR, which is “completely different from the films they normally watch.” In his own words:
“Director Rajamouli is one of the most anticipated directors and has a solid fan base in Japan because Baahubali 2 ran for a year in 2017 and grossed JPY300M. Also, the Japanese theatrical market is getting back to normal and audiences anticipate having an exciting cinema experience like RRR.”
On the heels of sold-out fan screenings and a Beyond Fest retrospective of Rajamouli’s films, the awards campaign for RRR kicked off in earnest last month. The film was surprisingly overlooked as India’s official selection for the Best International Feature category at the Oscars next year, but it is being campaigned in all other categories nonetheless. It recently picked up the Best International Film honor at the Saturn Awards.
Currently streaming on Netflix, RRR also stars Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn in supporting roles. You can watch the film’s trailer here, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.