The Indian Express ·
Arts, culture, entertainment and media
Vijay Sethupathi’s Maharaja to be remade in Hollywood, Matthew McConaughey casting uncertain
Producer Sudhan Sundaram has confirmed that a Hollywood agency has acquired the remake rights to Vijay Sethupathi's Maharaja.
Vijay Sethupathi‘s 2024 crime thriller Maharaja is now heading to Hollywood. The film’s producer Sudhan Sundaram, of Passion Studios, recently confirmed that a Hollywood agency approached the makers for the remake rights following the film’s strong international performance, particularly in China, and that the American version is expected to go into production by next year.
“Following the success of the film in China, where the film did very well both at the box office and on OTT, we were approached by a Hollywood agency for the remake rights,” Sundaram told The Times of India and added that the project is being set up with an A-lister.
The film collected approximately Rs 91.65 crore at the Chinese box office, according industry tracker Sacnilk, in addition to its Rs 190 crore worldwide gross, making it one of the most successful Tamil films in China. The strong Chinese reception, combined with its OTT performance on Netflix where it trended globally, appears to have been the trigger for the Hollywood interest.
The name generating the most buzz around the remake is Matthew McConaughey. Social media speculation has placed the Oscar-winning actor as the frontrunner to take on the role originally played by Vijay Sethupathi. However, Sundaram was careful not to confirm the casting. “Maybe McConaughey is one of the stars they are talking to, but only the agency will be able to confirm,” he said, making it clear that the casting decision rests with the Hollywood agency handling the project rather than the original producers.
Maharaja, directed by Nithilan Saminathan and produced by Sudhan Sundaram and Jagadish Palanisamy under Passion Studios, Think Studios and The Route, tells the story of a barber in Chennai who walks into a police station to file a complaint about a stolen dustbin. What appears to be a trivial complaint gradually unravels into something far darker, as the police begin to suspect that the barber’s real intentions are not what they seem. The film also starred Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in a negative role, alongside Sachana Namidass, Mamta Mohandas, Natty Subramaniam and Abhirami.
The film was Vijay Sethupathi’s 50th as a lead actor. The music was composed by B Ajaneesh Loknath, cinematography by Dinesh Purushothaman and editing by Philomin Raj.
The film is being developed as a standalone Hollywood production rather than a dubbed or adapted version, meaning it will be rewritten for an American setting with a new cast. Director Nithilan Saminathan is not currently attached to direct the remake, though his involvement in a creative capacity has not been ruled out.
