Tamil films off late have been proving their mettle at the global box-office (BO), by making big numbers outside of Tamil Nadu especially in overseas locations. The surge in box-office collections in overseas markets and rest of India, which even until 5-6 years ago was witnessed only with Rajinikanth films, is now seen with any Tamil movie with a good buzz, and a PAN Indian appeal.

Today, actor Vijay's movies consistently pull great numbers outside Tamil Nadu, Kamal Haasan's comeback movie Vikram (2022) did well in non-Tamil and overseas markets, Mani Ratnam's two-part multi starrer Ponniyin Selvan (2022, 2023) raked in big box-office numbers outside Tamil Nadu [Mani Ratnam isn't exactly new to having a hold outside Tamil market], Ajith with Thunivu (2023) hit new benchmarks in his own at overseas market.

Rajinikanth, the once sole reign over overseas and non-Tamil box-office markets, continued his record making streak (and how) in 2023. Despite neck to neck competition from peers and contemporaries, Rajini set himself a new record by breaching the Rs. 600 Cr box-office mark with Jailer (2023). While 2.0 (2018) continues to remains undefeated as the highest grossing industry hit, Jailer pulling a BO number proportionate to 2.0 that had bigger stars and a wider release, was looked at with awe last year. 

All of this and more, proved that any Tamil film with the right mix of star power, good content, PAN Indian appeal and great promotions do way more than their estimated BO predictions.

In the year 2023, atleast 7 films made more than Rs. 100 Cr at the global box office, and the top 5 movies alone contributed a cumulative collection of Rs 2000 Cr+

Top 10 Tamil Movies at Worldwide (WW) Box Office - 2023

1. Jailer - Rs. 622. 5 (actuals as opposed to MovieCrow's previous estimate of Rs. 650 Cr)
2. Leo - Rs. 611. 5 Cr
3. Ponniyin Selvan: II  - Rs. 349 Cr.
4. Varisu -Rs. 296 Cr.
5. Thunivu -Rs. 201 Cr.
6. Vaathi- Rs. 105 Cr.
7. Mark Antony - Rs. 100 Cr.
8. Maveeran - Rs. 77 Cr.
   
9. Maamannan - Rs. 70 Cr.
   
10. Jigarthanda - Rs. 68 Cr. 
    

Jailer vs Leo : A Neck and Neck Battle
A big debate still ensues on the box-office results of Jailer and Leo, two of the biggest Tamil releases in 2023. Jailer's clear box-office edge was evident to those in the trade, but the movie's margin was not big. Leo is estimated to have pulled in a big total from the north market. Jailer on the other hand, had equal contributions from neighboring states, and Rajinikanth's unshaken hold on the USA market contributed big time to the final total.

Notably, Jailer and Leo's box-office being similar in some key markets, showed that brand Vijay poses a big challenge to brand Rajinikanth outside of Tamil Nadu, and is slowly but surely taking over what was once Rajini's sole fort.

Vijay - The biggest contributor

Varisu and Leo raked in a total of Rs 900 Cr+ at global box office in 2023, making Vijay the biggest contributor for the Tamil cine year. 

2024 Expectations
With Rajini regaining his box-office mojo with Jailer, Vijay consistent box-office mettle, all eyes on a rejuvenated Kamal Haasan, other big Tamil stars like Suriya, Vikram waiting to release big projects this year, and most importantly the prospect of clicking well with PAN Indian, global audience with the right concoction, has set great expectations for the reach of Tamil cinema at the worldwide level. Scheduled 2024 releases from these same stars and more, are expected to add to the box-office benchmarks of Tamil movies this year.