Late actor Puneeth Rajkumar’s last film ‘James’ is set to hit theatres on Thursday, March 17. 'James' will be released in almost every cinema in Karnataka, making it the state's most widespread release ever.
Initially, there were reports that no film other than 'James' would be screened in the state for a week, but this does not appear to be the case. Holdovers are holding screens despite the limited release, and there are some new releases, including actor Akshay Kumar's ‘Bachchhan Pandey’ that is scheduled for release on March 18.
According to a report in Pinkvilla, the film is currently scheduled to open on over 450 screens in 380 locations, with over 2100 showings. This includes around 200 early morning shows, some of which begin as early as 01:00 a.m. On the first day of the film's release, approximately 10 lakh seats will be available.
Pre-sales for the film have already surpassed Rs. 4 crores in Bengaluru, setting a new opening day record for Sandalwood in the city. The city's first-day numbers could reach Rs. 5 crores tomorrow.
Around 30,000 tickets were sold in advance in Mysuru for the opening day of around 110 shows. The total advance for opening day in the state is estimated to be around Rs. 7.50-8 crores, making it one of the top opening days in the country.
The film will also be screened in 32 US states and 12 Canadian cities. Apart from Ukraine and Russia, ‘James’ will be screened across Europe, with the majority of the screenings already sold out.
‘James’ will be released in the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Kenya, Japan, Uganda, and Tanzania, among other countries. Many ‘Appu’ fans are also hosting private screenings around the world.
After suffering from cardiac arrest, the Kannada superstar, Puneeth, died on October 29, 2021. The actor's rites were carried out with full state pomp and circumstance. Puneeth's untimely death has left a void in the Kannada film industry as well as the hearts of his devoted fans.
