Confirmed! Allu Arjun replaces Salman Khan in Atlee’s ₹600 crore period spectacle

There have been several reports making the rounds regarding Atlee directing Salman Khan in his next directorial. However, widespread reports suggest that the producers are reluctant to commit to an exorbitant budget for the project. Now, in a mega-budget, all-India extravaganza, two of the most famous stars from the Telugu and Tamil film industries are teaming up. Allu Arjun will star in the next two-hero epic period saga directed by Atlee, according to PeepingMoon.com, putting an end to months of conjecture.

Pre-production and filming schedule

Despite the pending paperwork, the star has essentially given the project his approval and is likely to commence work on it immediately. According to an insider, Atlee is looking to kick off pre-production by April-May. The specific date of filming and other technical details are still being ironed out.

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Sun Pictures, a prominent Tamil production company known for backing Enthiran, Sarkar, Beast, Jailer, and the forthcoming Rajinikanth-Lokesh Kanagaraj film, Coolie, would be producing the film. The mega production house has formally agreed to fund this much-touted partnership, while they are still negotiating the production cost. According to sources, this Allu-Atlee film could potentially have a budget exceeding Rs. 600 crores, making it one of the most costly Indian film projects to date.

Grand reincarnation-themed period drama

The ambitious new film, which has not yet been given a title, is said to be a reincarnation-themed epic period saga with stunning visuals and unrivalled entertainment that will outstrip anything that the filmmaker has done before. The film revolves around two heroes, Allu and an uncast male protagonist. The film will have three main female leads, and Janhvi Kapoor is reportedly being considered for one.

Salman Khan's exit

There have been rumours, but this is actually the same project with which Salman was involved before. Atlee and Sun Pictures had originally planned to cast the superstar in the lead role, but Sun Pictures was reluctant to put money into a Salman-led project; thus, Allu Arjun ended up playing the lead role again. They also know that after learning about Will Smith's remuneration, negotiations never moved forward, but rumours had it that the director was thinking of a Hollywood star for the supporting role..

Trivikram Srinivas has reportedly delayed the actor's much-anticipated mythical epic, prompting the fast-tracking of Atlee's project. While the filmmaker's flick is prioritised, he plans to complete it by the first quarter of next year. That project's production timeframe is pushed back to 2026 due to the additional time needed for script creation and significant pre-production.

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