Animal advance box office collection: Ranbir Kapoor’s violent revenge saga expected to deliver career-best Rs 50 crore opening

Ranbir Kapoor's fans were enthralled earlier this week by the first trailer for his upcoming film, Animal. A romantic crime drama directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and co-starring Rashmika Mandanna, the film has been rated 'A' by the Central Board of Film Certification, a tag that the team is wearing like a badge of honour. Vanga courted controversy with his first two films, Arjun Reddy and its Hindi remake Kabir Singh, and seems to be doubling down with Animal, which runs at nearly three-and-a-half hours long.

Vanga refused to compromise on the run time, after delivering a first cut that ran nearly four hours long. Long movies are significantly affected commercially, for the simple reason that distributors can fit fewer shows in a single day. Long movies rated 'A' are further impacted. But Animal will be a true test not only for Vanga, but also for Ranbir who is slowly clawing his way back to the A-list after a mixed run since Sanju. Advance bookings for the film will begin in India on Sunday, November 26. According to the industry tracker Sacnilk, Animal is expected to generate Rs 50 crore on its opening day, which would easily be the biggest opening in Ranbir's career. Advance bookings began in the US, and according to Koimoi, the movie has sold only 3,200 tickets for 206 locations so far. But it's still very early days.

Released in 2018, Sanju Rs 34 crore on day one, and ultimately earned nearly Rs 350 crore in India. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani opened to Rs 19 crore and delivered nearly Rs 190 crore in India, while Besharam, released at arguably the peak of Ranbir's popularity, made Rs 21 crore on opening day. His last two releases, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar and Brahmastra, made Rs 15 crore and Rs 36 crore on day one, respectively.

Vanga's Kabir Singh made Rs 20 crore on day one, on its way to nearly Rs 280 crore in India. It remains star Shahid Kapoor's biggest solo hit. Rashmika, on the other hand, has had a lacklustre transition to Hindi cinema, having starred in Goodbye and the streaming film Mission Majnu. Animal will be released in theatres on December 1.