Lokesh Cinematic Universe | |
---|---|
Created by | Lokesh Kanagaraj |
Original work | Kaithi (2019) |
Owners | G Squad Dream Warrior Pictures Seven Screen Studio Raaj Kamal Films International |
Years | 2019–present |
Films and television | |
Film(s) | |
Audio | |
Soundtrack(s) | |
Miscellaneous | |
Budget | est. ₹395–₹495 crore (3 films) |
Box office | est.₹1155-1220 crore (3 films) |
The Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), also known as the Lokiverse, is an Indian media franchise and shared universe of Tamil-language action thriller films created by Lokesh Kanagaraj. [a] It is currently the highest grossing Tamil film franchise. [6]
The first feature of the universe Kaithi was released in 2019, while the second installment Vikram was released in 2022 and third installment Leo was released in 2023 [b] with Leo being the highest grosser of all LCU films. The universe follows an elaborate conflict between law enforcement officers and vigilantes in South India who are at war against dangerous drug cartels led by powerful crime lords. A 10-minute short film, named Pillaiyar Suzhi Chapter Zero - 1Shot, 2 Stories, 24 Hours, detailing the origins of the LCU will be released in late 2024 before the commencement of Kaithi 2.
Lokesh Kanagaraj expressed his desire to create a shared universe of films after completing his debut feature, Maanagaram. He emphasized that such films have enduring appeal. During the production of Kaithi, he conceptualized and experimented with this idea, incorporating multiple open-ended plotlines in Kaithi. He further developed this concept in collaboration with Dream Warrior Pictures and Raaj Kamal Films International for his film Vikram, utilising properties owned by these production companies. As a result, he successfully established a shared universe and announced plans for additional projects set within this interconnected cinematic world. [10] [3]
Though the name "Lokesh Cinematic Universe" was coined by fans, post the release of Vikram, he accepted it as the official name of the universe. [11] [12] Other names for the franchise include the Loki Cinematic Universe and Lokiverse, as Loki is his nickname. [13] [14]
Narain, George Maryan and Maya S. Krishnan are the only actors who have reprised their roles in significant capacities across multiple films within the universe. [15] [16] Karthi and Kamal Haasan have made voice-only cameo appearances, reprising their roles as Dilli in Vikram and Vikram in Leo, respectively. [17] [16]
Name | Release date | Director(s) | Screenplay Writer(s) | Story Writer(s) | Dialogue Writer(s) | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
25 October 2019 | Lokesh Kanagaraj and Pon Parthiban | Released | ||||
3 June 2022 | Concept By Kamal Haasan Screenstory By Lokesh Kanagaraj Vikram Character Created By Kamal Haasan & Sujatha | Lokesh Kanagaraj and Rathna Kumar | ||||
Leo | 19 October 2023 | Lokesh Kanagaraj, Rathna Kumar, and Deeraj Vaidy | ||||
Benz | TBA | Lokesh Kanagaraj Bakkiyaraj Kannan | Lokesh Kanagaraj | Pre-Production | ||
Kaithi 2 | Lokesh Kanagaraj | Announcement | ||||
Rolex | ||||||
Vikram 2 | ||||||
Name | Release date | Director(s) | Screenplay Writer(s) | Story Writer(s) | Dialogue Writer(s) | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chapter Zero - The Origin of LCU | January 2025 | Lokesh Kanagaraj | Post-Production | |||
Film | Producer(s) | Cinematographer(s) | Editor(s) | Music Composer(s) | Stunt Master(s) | Art Director(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
S. R. Prakashbabu, S. R. Prabhu and Thiruppur Vivek | Sathees Kumar | |||||
Kamal Haasan and R. Mahendran | ||||||
Leo | S. S. Lalit Kumar and Jagadish Palanisamy | |||||
Chapter Zero - The Origin of LCU | Rahul Ilamagandi, Lokesh Kanagaraj, Jagadish Palanisamy and Abishek Raaja | |||||
Benz | Lokesh Kanagaraj, Sudhan Sundaram and Jagadish Palanisamy | Goutham George | Jacki | |||
Kaithi 2 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Rolex | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Leo 2 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Vikram 2 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Napoleon | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Agent Tina | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
After a drug bust of 900 kgs of cocaine belonging to drug peddlers Adaikalam and Anbu in Trichy, Inspector Bejoy faces a dire situation when several cops are poisoned at a party by a corrupt cop in an attempt to recover the loot and kill the officers involved in the bust. To thwart the gang, Bejoy blackmails ex-convict Dilli into assisting him by threatening to prevent him from meeting his 10-year-old daughter for the first time. Together, they embark on a mission to transport the poisoned cops to the hospital and prevent Anbu's gang from getting their hands on the busted drugs. Their journey is fraught with danger as they continuously evade pursuing gang members, who receive support from a corrupt narcotics official, Stephen Raj.
The first installment of the LCU, it stars Karthi in the lead role, along with Narain, Arjun Das, Harish Uthaman, George Maryan and Dheena in pivotal roles.
Amar, a black ops agent, is assigned to investigate a series of murders committed by a masked group of vigilantes. Their victims include high-ranking officials from the narcotics department like Stephen Raj and ACP Prabhanjan [c] , and Prabhanjan's seemingly harmless foster father, Karnan. As Amar delves deeper into the case, a tangled web of clues leads him to the mastermind behind the murders, a drug kingpin named Sandhanam, who controls the largest drug syndicate in Chennai. However, a surprising twist reveals that Karnan is, in fact, alive and is former Black Ops Commander Vikram, who leads the group of vigilantes, that now includes Bejoy. In the face of this revelation, Vikram, Amar, and Bejoy unite their efforts to take down Sandhanam's powerful drug syndicate.
The second installment in the LCU stars Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil with Kalidas Jayaram, Narain and Chemban Vinod Jose in supporting roles. Suriya made his first appearance in the LCU in a cameo role as Rolex. The film is a spiritual successor of Vikram (1986). [18] [1] [4] [19]
Parthiban, a café owner and animal rescuer in Theog, becomes a local hero after thwarting a group of robbers in his café. This draws the attention of gangsters Antony and Harold Das, who suspect him to be Antony's estranged son, Leo Das. Parthiban denies having any connection to them but they continue to hound him, and he takes matters into his own hands by eliminating both Antony and Harold and destroying their datura factory after confessing that he is Leo having left his past life behind. Following this, Vikram, knowing Parthi's identity as Leo, invites him to join forces in creating a drug-free society in India, while suggesting a mysterious connection between them from their past. [d]
The third installment in LCU stars Vijay in the title role, alongside Trisha, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Sarja, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Priya Anand and Madonna Sebastian with George Maryan as Napoleon and a voice-over cameo by Kamal Haasan as Agent Vikram. It is based on 2005 film A History of Violence , which itself was an adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name.
Leo emerged as the highest grossing LCU film, the second highest-grossing Tamil film of 2023, the fifth highest-grossing Indian film of 2023, the highest-grossing Tamil film overseas and the highest-grossing film in Tamil Nadu.
As implied at the end of Kaithi, Lokesh had planned for a sequel, which he confirmed after its release. [20] In an interview with Subha J Rao to Firstpost , Lokesh conveyed his interest in developing the film into a franchise, stating that he had an idea for both the prequel and the sequel, which depends on the recurring schedules of the cast members. In May 2021, the film's producer, S. R. Prabhu, confirmed that the sequel was in the works. [21]
Kaithi 2 is intended to be a prequel for Dilli, focusing on his character. Later, in an interaction with fans through Twitter, Lokesh explained about Anbu's return in Vikram as he was knocked out and not dead, although he had stitch marks in his jaw due to his injuries. [22]
Following the success of Vikram, Lokesh planned to expand the scale of the sequel, [4] with S. R. Prabhu admitting that it would be bigger than the first film. [23] Production of the film was expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022 but was delayed as Lokesh intended to resume the project after completing Leo and a film with Rajinikanth, titled Coolie (2025), which would not be a part of the LCU. [24]
As per Latest update Lokesh has completed the scriptwork of Kaithi 2 and Shooting is likely to commence once Lokesh completes Coolie.
In early August 2023, reports surfaced indicating that Leo would have a sequel, marking Vijay's first venture into a sequel film. [25] [26] In December 2023, Lokesh confirmed the project would be tentatively be titled as Parthiban. However, the project is doubtful because of Vijay's entry into politics. [27]
Owing to the film's remarkable success, Kamal Haasan, in an interview with Pinkvilla, expressed the potential for a sequel to Vikram. Additionally, there were reports indicating the development of a third installment in the Vikram series. There have been many who said it would be named as Vikram 2 or Vikram 3, but the makers had decided that it would be titled Vikram Returns. In many interviews later on, Lokesh confirmed that the sequel to Vikram will be the official endgame for his universe and has always maintained that there needs to be a proper closure to it. [28] [29] [30]
In August 2023, Suriya revealed that a spin-off centered around his character, Rolex from Vikram, was being planned. [31] Lokesh pitched Suriya an idea for a standalone film of the Rolex character, and the actor too agreed to the idea, which Lokesh later confirmed in October 2024. [32]
Lokesh announced a new action thriller film titled Benz, starring Raghava Lawrence and directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan. The announcement was made on 14 April 2024. Lokesh announced that Benz will join the LCU with the caption, "a warrior with a cause is the most dangerous soldier". A teaser was unveiled on Raghava Lawrence's 48th birthday, welcoming him into the universe on 29 October 2024. [33] [34]
Lokesh announced a short film on 29 October 2024 titled Pillaiyar Suzhi, which would describe the inception of the universe before Kaithi. Arjun Das, Narain, Kalidas Jayaram, and a few other actors from the universe will be a part of the short film. Lokesh released a first look of LCU Chapter Zero and titled it - 1 Shot 2 Stories 24 Hours, referring to the short film shot in 24 hours consisting of 2 stories and executed in a single shot. [35] [36] [37]
Lokesh revealed his plans for two spin-off series with George Maryan’s character Napoleon from Kaithi and Agent Tina from Vikram. However, he revealed he would let his assistants or other directors complete the same. Details of these are yet to be unveiled. [16]
In November 2024, Lokesh shared his plans for the franchise and the roadmap ahead. “The opening (first film) was so good. Now it’s structure is that there are only three films in the universe (so far). So, the fourth and fifth movies should be two basements, the sixth should be the pre-climax and the seventh or eighth should be the end. Going by that, I will get to do Kaithi 2, Rolex standalone and Vikram 2. If Vijay sir hadn’t announced retirement, I would have done Leo 2 as well. Then Leo 2 or Vikram 2 would have been the final film. That’s the maximum I can do with this universe". [38]
Anirudh has composed the soundtracks and film scores of the LCU films under the label of Sony Music, except for Kaithi which was composed by Sam CS and Benz which was composed by Sai Abhyankkar under the label of Think Music. [39] [40]
Lokiverse serves as the theme music for the franchise. It has two versions. The original version was featured in Vikram (2022), [41] [42] while the second version was featured in Leo (2023). [43] The second version titled "Lokiverse 2.0" connected the elements of the franchise between the first three installments: Kaithi (2019), Vikram (2022) and Leo (2023). [44]
Title | Release date | Length | Composer(s) | Label | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 May 2022 | 0:15:52 | [45] [46] [47] | |||
19 October 2023 | 0:22:57 | [43] [48] |
Title | Release date | Length | Composer(s) | Label | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
22 November 2019 | 0:28:18 | N/A | [49] | ||
7 July 2022 | 0:34:16 | [41] [42] | |||
TBA | TBA | [43] |
Films | Satellite Rights | Digital Rights |
---|---|---|
Kaithi | JioStar (Star India) | Disney+ Hotstar |
Vikram | JioStar (Star India) | Disney+ Hotstar |
Leo | Sun TV (India) | Netflix |
Benz | TBA | Netflix |
Kaithi 2 | TBA | TBA |
Rolex | TBA | TBA |
Vikram 2 | TBA | TBA |
1991 | Vikram flashback |
---|---|
1992–1998 | |
1999 | Leo flashback |
2000–2018 | |
2019 | Kaithi |
Vikram | |
2020 | |
2021 | Leo |
An official timeline has not been released by the makers, but the films give an indication of this.
In the cinematic universe, the events in Kaithi unfold in the year 2019, followed by the events in Vikram, which transpire three months after the events in Kaithi. Subsequently, the events in Leo occur two years later in 2021. The flashback storylines in Vikram and Leo depict events from 1991 and 1999 respectively. [50]
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in Lokesh Cinematic Universe.
Characters | Films | ||
---|---|---|---|
Kaithi (2019) | Vikram (2022) | Leo (2023) | |
Introduced in Kaithi | |||
Dilli | Karthi | Karthi V | Mentioned [e] |
Inspector Bejoy | Narain | ||
Anbu Das | Arjun Das | Arjun Das C | |
Adaikalam Das | Harish Uthaman | Harish Uthaman C | |
Stephen Raj | Hareesh Peradi | Hareesh Peradi C | |
Napoleon | George Maryan | George Maryan | |
Kamatchi | Dheena | Dheena C | |
Amudha | Baby Monica | Baby Monica C | |
Commander Arun Kumar Vikram / Karnan | Mentioned [f] | Kamal Haasan | Kamal Haasan V |
Introduced in Vikram | |||
Amar | Fahadh Faasil | ||
Escort | Maya S. Krishnan | Maya S. Krishnan C | |
Rolex | Suriya C | ||
Introduced in Leo | |||
Parthiban / Leo Das | Vijay |
The Lokesh Cinematic Universe is currently the highest grossing Tamil film franchise.
Film | Release | Rotten Tomatoes and | Budget | Box office | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kaithi | 25 October 2019 | 92% 8.4/10 | ₹25 crore (US$3.55 million) | ₹105 crore (US$14.91 million) | [51] |
Vikram | 3 June 2022 | 95% 8.4/10 | ₹120 crore (US$15.27 million) | ₹500 crore (US$63.61 million) | [52] [53] [54] |
Leo | 19 October 2023 | 74% 7.2/10 | ₹300 crore (US$36 million) | ₹620.5 crore (US$74 million) | [55] |
Total | ₹445 crore (US$55 million) | ₹1,225.5 crore (US$144 million) |
Parthasarathy Srinivasan, known professionally as Kamal Haasan, is an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, choreographer, playback singer, lyricist, television presenter, social activist and politician who works in Tamil cinema. Besides Tamil films, he has also appeared in some Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali films. Considered as one of the greatest and most respected actors in Indian cinema, Haasan is also known for introducing many new innovations to the Indian film industry. He has won numerous accolades, including four National Film Awards, nine Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, four Nandi Awards, one Rashtrapati Award, two Filmfare Awards and eighteen Filmfare Awards South. He was awarded the Kalaimamani Award in 1984, the Padma Shri in 1990, the Padma Bhushan in 2014 and the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier) in 2016.
Shankar Shanmugam, credited as S. Shankar or his mononymShankar, is an Indian film director, film producer, and screenwriter who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. In addition, he also worked in Hindi films and Telugu films. His films typically deal with contemporary social issues, vigilante themes, and the usage of state-of-the-art technology and VFX. He has won one National Film Award, four Filmfare Award South, and six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards in his career. Six of his films have won the National Film Award for Best Special Effects.
Sunil Kumar, known by his stage name Narain, is an Indian actor, who has starred in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films. He made his debut in Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Nizhalkuthu (2002), followed by performances in Malayalam films 4 the People (2004), Achuvinte Amma (2005), and Classmates (2006). Narain's Tamil and Telugu debuts were in Mysskin's Chithiram Pesuthadi (2006) and Jayaraj's Yuvasena (2004).
The Filmfare Best Actor Award is given by the Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Tamil film lead actors. The Filmfare Awards South Awards were extended to "Best Actor" in 1972. The year indicates the year of release of the film.
Vikram is a 1986 Indian Tamil-language action spy film directed by Rajasekhar and written by Kamal Haasan and Sujatha. The film stars Haasan, Sathyaraj, Amjad Khan, Lissy, Dimple Kapadia, Charuhasan and Janagaraj. It is the first Indian film to use computer for recording the songs. The screenplay was first published as a serial in the magazine Kumudam. Both Lissy and Kapadia made their Tamil debut through this film.
The Vijay Award for Best Actor is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil (Kollywood) films. It was given from the second ceremony onwards. Dhanush and Vikram are the most award winners with 2 awards each.
The Vijay for Best Story, Screenplay Writer is given by STAR Vijay as part of its annual Vijay Awards ceremony for Tamil (Kollywood) films.
Maanagaram (transl. Metropolis) is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film co-written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, and produced by S. R. Prabhu. The film stars Sri, Sundeep Kishan, and Regina Cassandra, and its soundtrack was composed by Javed Riaz. It is the feature directorial debut of Lokesh Kanagaraj. The film was released on 10 March 2017 to positive reviews from critics. It was remade in Hindi as Mumbaikar (2023).
Kaithi (transl. Prisoner) is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, who co-wrote it with Pon Parthiban, and produced by S. R. Prakash Babu and S. R. Prabhu under Dream Warrior Pictures and co-produced by Tiruppur Vivek under Vivekananda Pictures. It stars Karthi, alongside Narain, Arjun Das, Harish Uthaman, George Maryan and Dheena. It is the first instalment in Lokesh Cinematic Universe. In the film, Dilli, a recently released prisoner races-against-time to drive poisoned cops to a hospital while evading criminals in exchange for meeting his daughter Amudha.
Lokesh Kanagaraj is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer who works in Tamil cinema. He started his career with a short film in the 2016 anthology Aviyal, he later directed his first feature film Maanagaram (2017). He created the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU) franchise after the commercial success of Kaithi (2019), the franchise's first installment. He directed Master (2021), a standalone film featuring Vijay. This was followed by Vikram (2022), the second installment in the LCU with Kamal Haasan in the lead role.
Arjun Das is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil films, along with a few Telugu films. He has garnered major attention for his bass voice.
Vikram is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Raaj Kamal Films International. The film stars Kamal Haasan in the titular role, alongside Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, Narain, Kalidas Jayaram, Gayathrie, Chemban Vinod Jose, Santhana Bharathi and Elango Kumaravel. It is the second instalment in the Lokesh Cinematic Universe and is a spiritual successor to the 1986 film of the same name. The film follows Vikram, the former commander of a black-ops squad's pilot batch, and his efforts to take down Sandhanam, the runner of a drug syndicate Vetti Vagaiyara.
Bakkiyaraj Kannan is an Indian film director who works in Tamil film industry. He has directed two films: Remo (2016) and Sulthan (2021).
"Pathala Pathala" is an Indian Tamil-language song composed by Anirudh for the soundtrack of Vikram. The song was written and sung by Kamal Haasan The song lyrical version was released on 11 May 2022 through the record label Sony Music India, while the full video song was released on 1 July 2022.
Vikram is the soundtrack album composed by Anirudh Ravichander for the 2022 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film of the same name directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. Produced by Raaj Kamal Films International, the film features an ensemble cast with Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil in lead roles. The film marks Anirudh's second collaboration with Lokesh after Master (2021), and his first with Haasan, respectively.
Seven Screen Studio is an Indian film production and distribution company headed by S. S. Lalit Kumar.
Leo is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Seven Screen Studio. The film stars Vijay in the titular role, alongside Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Sarja, Trisha, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mysskin, Madonna Sebastian, George Maryan, Mansoor Ali Khan, Priya Anand and Mathew Thomas. It is the third instalment in the Lokesh Cinematic Universe and is partially inspired by the film A History of Violence. The film follows Parthi, a café owner and animal rescuer in Theog, who is pursued by gangsters Antony and Harold Das who suspect him to be Antony's estranged son, Leo.
Leo is the soundtrack album composed by Anirudh Ravichander for the 2023 Tamil-language film Leo, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj starring Vijay, alongside Sanjay Dutt, Arjun and Trisha. The film is produced by S. S. Lalit Kumar under Seven Screen Studio.
Coolie is an upcoming Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Kalanithi Maran's Sun Pictures. The film stars Rajinikanth in the titular role, alongside Nagarjuna, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan and Sathyaraj.
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(help)Kamal Haasan's Vikram is showing no signs of slowing down at the box office. As of now, Vikram is marching towards Rs 500 crore at the worldwide box office.
இதுவரை 500 கோடி ரூபாய் வசூல் சாதனை செய்துள்ளதாக தகவல் வெளியாகியுள்ளது.
At the end of its theatrical run, the film registered a record footfall and grossed over ₹500 crore worldwide.