Jailer 2, starring Rajinikanth and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, has stopped screening at York Cinemas in Canada because of a technical issue involving the film’s North American distributors. The cinema announced the suspension on Wednesday, October 21, explaining that it had not received the valid Key Delivery Messages (KDMs) required to continue showing the film.
The development comes less than a week after the film was released in theatres on October 15. Jailer 2 has reportedly earned more than Rs 540 crore worldwide during its first week, with the Navaratri and Dussehra festive period contributing to its box-office success.
In a statement posted on Instagram, York Cinemas informed customers that screenings would be discontinued from October 21. The exhibitor said the decision had been taken due to circumstances beyond its control.
York Cinemas explained that it had met all its financial obligations and completed the required payments but had not received the valid KDMs from the film’s North American distributors, Shloka Entertainments and Prathyangira Cinemas. The necessary authorisation from production house Sun Pictures was also required.
The cinema stated that it could not technically continue screening the film without valid KDMs.
York Cinemas said it had attempted to resolve the matter and resume screenings but had not received the required authorisation. It also apologised to customers for the inconvenience.
As of Wednesday, Sun Pictures and the two distributors had not publicly commented on the issue.
According to trade website Sacnilk, Jailer 2 collected Rs 289.05 crore net and Rs 338.45 crore gross in India during its first six days. With overseas earnings of Rs 204 crore, the film’s worldwide gross reached Rs 542.45 crore within a week of its release.
The film benefited from the festive season and faced no competition from other Tamil releases during its initial theatrical run.
Besides Rajinikanth, the cast includes Ramya Krishnan, Mirnaa, Rithwik, Yogi Babu, SJ Suryah, Mithun Chakraborty, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Vidya Balan and Namo Narayana. Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar, Jackie Shroff, Hrithik Roshan and Vijay Sethupathi appear in cameo roles.
Although Jailer 2 has enjoyed a strong opening week at the box office, the suspension of screenings at York Cinemas has raised concerns about distribution-related problems in North America. The film’s producers and distributors have yet to issue a statement on the matter.
