Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 Earns $500K in Premieres

Rishab Shetty’s highly anticipated prequel Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 has opened to impressive numbers, collecting over $500,000 from its premiere shows in North America. The film, which takes audiences back in time to explore the origins of the 2022 blockbuster’s story, marks a strong start in international markets.

The original Kantara emerged as a cultural phenomenon in 2022, earning more than Rs 310 crore in India alone. Remarkably, its Hindi version contributed over Rs 80 crore despite releasing two weeks after the South Indian premiere. The film became a rare box office success where each subsequent week outperformed the previous one, creating unprecedented momentum.

Strong North American Performance

North America led the global rollout, with premiere shows generating substantial interest. The film’s advance booking began promisingly, collecting $51,000 on day one and crossing the $300,000 mark before premieres commenced. While growth hasn’t been explosive, the steady climb indicates solid audience interest. The prequel faces a breakeven target of $9 million in the region.

Domestic Market Shows Promise

In India, advance bookings have surged past the Rs 25 crore milestone, signaling strong anticipation among domestic audiences. Industry analysts predict a day-one collection of at least Rs 40 crore, which would significantly outperform Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, the Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor starrer releasing simultaneously.

Early reviews for Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 have been positive, which could drive word-of-mouth publicity and sustain box office momentum through the opening weekend. Given the original film’s extraordinary journey from modest expectations to blockbuster status, the prequel carries substantial weight on its shoulders.

As the film expands to more territories, all eyes remain on whether Shetty can recreate the magic that made Kantara one of Kannada cinema’s biggest successes.