Prithviraj Sukumaran on how the SAG strike affected the casting of Empuraan

But for GoT fame Jerome Flynn, most other actors on Prithviraj's wish list for Empuraan were SAG members and, hence, could not be signed up for the film.

Prithviraj Sukumaran has directed Empuraan

As a filmmaker, Prithviraj Sukumaran is a firm believer in the concept that getting the right cast for a film means 50% of his job is done. So, when he was finalising the cast of his directorial Empuraan, he had a list of foreign actors that he absolutely wanted on board. His list included some big names from the UK and the US as well, but just as they were about to sign them up officially, the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike happened and their office shut down.

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From SAG to non-SAG actors for Empuraan

Unfortunately for Prithviraj, all the actors he had short-listed could only be cast through SAG. “We were in limbo for a while and kept waiting, but the strike just would not end and we had to move on. Then, we had to start the entire process again and this time the brief was to get only non-SAG actors,” he told NDTV. One of the options that he always wanted was Jerome Flynn, best known for playing Bronn in Game of Thrones.

Jerome was on Prithviraj’s wish list and, as luck would have it, not signed up with SAG. “Jerome plays Boris Oliver in Empuraan. I gave him a narration and he understood what we were trying to attempt. He is one of the easiest actors to work with – absolute professional and gem of a person,” the actor-filmmaker added. Empuraan’s overseas cast also includes Eriq Ebouaney, Alexx O'Nell, Mikhail Novikov and Andrea Tivadar.

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Ahead of the release of Empuraan, Prithviraj had done an elaborate character introduction sequence, wherein he presented 36 characters from the film. There are many more, he says, all of which will be revealed when the film releases in theatres on March 27, 2025. Written by Murali Gopy, Empuraan is the second instalment in the three-part Lucifer franchise.

While the first film was all about Mohanlal as Stephen Nedumpally, a man with a mysterious past, Empuraan unravels that mystery and reveals his avatar as Khureshi Ab’raam. Produced by Antony Perumbavoor, Gokulam Gopalan and Subaskaran Allirajah, the 3-hour-long film has music by Deepak Dev.

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