After a sluggish start at the box office, Vijay-Venkat Prabhu film ‘GOAT’ got the much needed boost on Saturday and garnered Rs 13 crore on its 10th day of release. Although the film had a strong debut, earning Rs 137 crore domestically in its first four days since its September 5 release, it added only Rs 60 crore over the following six days. While these figures are noteworthy for many films, the high expectations set by Vijay’s previous successes make these numbers seem somewhat disappointing. The film’s domestic total now stands at approximately Rs 197.75 crore and is on track to surpass the Rs 200-crore mark, potentially becoming the highest-grossing film of Venkat Prabhu’s career.
On Wednesday, ‘GOAT’’s collections fell into single digits for the first time, continuing to drop through Friday, marking one of the more disappointing runs for a Vijay film in recent memory. However, Saturday marked a turning point, highlighting Vijay’s undeniable box office appeal. With Monday being a holiday in some states for Eid-E-Milad, ‘GOAT’ remains the primary choice for moviegoers, which is expected to boost its collections through the weekend and into Monday. The Saturday spike in numbers underscores the importance of timing a film’s release to coincide with holiday periods, which can significantly impact box office performance.
On Saturday, the occupancy rate for the Tamil version of the film rose to 56.74%, up from 33.07% on Friday. The Telugu and Hindi versions also saw an increase, with occupancy climbing from below 10% on Friday to nearly 14.5% on Saturday. This upward trend is anticipated to continue on Sunday and Monday, potentially pushing the film’s total to Rs 250 crore or even Rs 300 crore domestically by the end of its run.
Meanwhile, Vijay has announced his retirement from cinema after his next project, tentatively titled ‘Thalapathy 69’. KVN Productions, the film’s producers, confirmed this with a heartfelt teaser and poster celebrating Vijay as the “torchbearer of democracy.” Directed by H. Vinoth, who recently helmed three consecutive films with Ajith Kumar, ‘Thalapathy 69’ will feature music by Anirudh Ravichander, known for his previous collaborations with Vijay in ‘Master, ‘Beast’, and ‘Leo’. The film is expected to release in October 2025, marking Vijay’s final bow in the industry.