Maddock Horror Comedy Universe is an Indian shared universe consisting of Hindi-language supernatural comedy horror films created and produced by Maddock Films. All films in this universe are based on Indian folklore.[1] The first installment, Stree, was released as a standalone film. The universe-building began with Bhediya, in which characters from Stree appeared. This was followed by Munjya, where characters from Bhediya and Stree appeared. Stree 2 continued by featuring characters from Bhediya, making Stree and Bhediya the central links connecting all three films.[2]
The first installment of the franchise is directed by Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Raj & DK. It stars Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao, alongside Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee. The plot is inspired by the urban legend Nale Ba, which means "come tomorrow" in Kannada, adapted in the film as "O Stree Kal Aana" (oh woman, come tomorrow) in the film.[3][4]Stree was theatrically released worldwide on 31 August 2018 and received positive reviews. The film grossed over ₹180 crore at the box office against a budget of ₹23–25 crore, becoming a box-office success. The film received ten nominations at the 64th Filmfare Awards and won Best Debut Director for Kaushik.[5]
The third installment was directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Amar Kaushik. The film stars Sharvari, Abhay Verma, Sathyaraj and Mona Singh. The titular character was created using CGI. Additionally, characters from Bhediya made cameo appearances in the film, including Varun Dhawan and Abhishek Banerjee. The film is based on folklore from Konkan that depicts a mischievous spirit named Munjya from Marathi tradition, which haunts peepal trees or wells. This spirit arises when a man dies unmarried between his thread ceremony and marriage ritual and often causes disturbances to fulfil his unfulfilled desires. Munjya was theatrically released on 7 June 2024, garnering mixed reviews. The film grossed over ₹132 crore worldwide against a production budget of ₹30 crore and became one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2024.[9][10]
The fourth installment and direct sequel to Stree was directed by Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Jyoti Deshpande. The film stars Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana. The story follows the events after Stree, where the small town of Chanderi is haunted by a beheaded creature, "Sarkata", who is abducting women. Stree 2 was theatrically released on 15 August 2024. The film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed over ₹874.8 crore at the box office against a production budget of ₹50–120 crore.[a][11]
The fifth installment in the franchise, titled Thama, was officially announced on October 30, 2024. The film, centers around a vampire storyline and stars Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna and Suniel Shetty.[12] The cast also includes Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Paresh Rawal. The film is directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Amar Kaushik. The film is scheduled to be released date theatrically on 17 October 2025, on the occasion of Diwali.[13][14] Principal photography began on 12 December 2024 and wrapped up around 25 May 2025 with only two song sequences left to complete. The film is currently in the post-production phase. Varun Dhawan will appear in a cameo appearance, reprising his role from Bhediya as reported in March 2025. Aditya Sarpotdar confirmed that Thama is not a horror-comedy unlike other films of Maddock Supernatural Universe. "It is a romantic film with certain supernatural elements backing it," the director confirmed in an interview with Zoom. He insisted that the movie is mainly comedy with romance being the central theme. The director also shared that it was a decision taken since the Maddock Supernatural Universe has delivered enough horror-comedies in the recent past (Stree, Bhediya and Munjya). The teaser of the film released on 19 August titled World Of Thama.
Shakti Shalini (TBA)
The sixth installment in the franchise, it will be directed by Ajitpal Singh and will star Kiara Advani in the lead role.[15] The film was set to release on 31 December 2025, a day before New Year's Day, but got delayed due to Kiara Advani's pregnancy. It is scheduled to release soon.[16]
Bhediya 2 (TBA)
The seventh installment and a sequel to Bhediya, titled Bhediya 2, is in the pipeline, with Amar Kaushik returning as the director and Varun Dhawan reprising his role. While the project has been officially announced, the makers are still in the pre-production phase and principal photography has not yet started. The film was set to release on 14 August 2026, a day before Independence Day, but got delayed. It is scheduled to release soon. Kriti Sanon might reprise her role as Dr. Anika from Bhediya, despite her character's "supposed" death in the film.[17][18]
Chamunda (TBA)
The eighth installment in the franchise. It will star Alia Bhatt in a lead role. The film was set to release on 4 December 2026, but got delayed. It is scheduled to release soon.[19]
Stree 3 (TBA)
The ninth installment in the franchise and a sequel to Stree 2. The film will feature Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana reprising their roles with Akshay Kumar as the main antagonist, reprising his role from his appearance as last living descendant of Chandrabhan (popular as 'Sarkata') in Stree 2. He had an unknown hatred against his own family which will be known in Stree 3. Producer Dinesh Vijan confirmed that Stree 3 has already been written.[20][21] Director Amar Kaushik mentioned it would take three years to produce. The film was set to release on 13 August 2027, two days before Independence Day, but got delayed. It is scheduled to release soon.[22][23]
Maha Munjya (TBA)
The tenth installment in the franchise and a sequel to Munjya. Abhay Verma and Sharvari will be reprising their roles as Bittu and Bela respectively. The film was set to release on 24 December 2027.[24]
Pehla Mahayudh (TBA)
The eleventh installment in the franchise, Pehla Mahayudh, will serve as the first part of the two-part finale for the current phase of the franchise. The story will continue and conclude in the twelfth installment, titled Doosara Mahayudh, releasing later in the same year. Pehla Mahayudh will feature characters from all previous films in the franchise. The film was set to release on 11 August 2028, four days before Independence Day, but got delayed. It is scheduled to release soon. Makers Dinesh Vijan, Jyoti Deshpande and director Amar Kaushik confirmed that Akshay Kumar will lead both the parts as Chandravanshi (descendant of Chanderi Chief Chandrabhan Sarkata) with several stars from previous installments will be pitted against him.[25]
Doosara Mahayudh (TBA)
The twelfth installment in the franchise, Doosara Mahayudh, will serve as the conclusion to the two-part finale of the current phase of the franchise. Picking up directly from the events of Pehla Mahayudh, the film will bring together characters from all previous installments for a climactic showdown. The film was set to release on 18 October 2028, on the occasion of Diwali, but got delayed. It is scheduled to release soon.[26]
Characters
This table lists the characters connected across the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe.
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