CHENNAI: Vijay-Lokesh Kanagaraj's second collaboration, 'Leo' released worldwide on Thursday from mixed to positive response. The film broke several box-office records and is closing in on the Rs 200 crore mark at the box-office.
On the opening day, 'Leo' grossed Rs 140.2 crore worldwide may come very close to Rs 200 crore when the figures for Friday are out in the early hours of Saturday. It has made substantially more than what the previous Tamil hit, Rajinikanth's 'Jailer', did on its Day One: Rs 91.2 crore, according to trade analysts.
It has even surpassed the Rs 129.6 crore notched up by Jawan on its first day and the Rs 104.8 crore earned by 'Pathaan'— these are this year's top two big grossers -- and left the 'Gadar' first-day worldwide collection of Rs 53.7 crore far behind.
The second day of 'Leo' promises to be a good one with its gross earnings likely to touch Rs 35 crore in the domestic market, buoyed by the 66.85 per cent average occupancy reported by cinemas in Tamil Nadu in the morning and afternoon shows on Friday. And with Chennai reporting an average of 88 per cent, 'Leo' appears to be on a strong wicket.
With 'Leo' off to a good start, Lokesh Kanagaraj's LCU — Lokesh Cinematic Universe is on a roll, following the successive successes of the Karthi-starrer 'Kaithi' (2019: Rs 106.8 crore), Kamal Haasan-led 'Vikram' (2022; Rs 414.43 crore), and now 'Leo', if the early trends hold good as the days' progress.