DADDY Official Trailer (2025)

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Four men attend a government retreat to prove that they have what it takes to become fathers.

Daddy is arriving on DVD & Blu-ray on February 25th:
"Really, really, funny." NoBudge has debuted a brand new official trailer for an indie comedy called Dad & Step-Dad, made by filmmakers Tynan DeLong and Colin Burgess. After initially releasing on the streaming service NoBudge last year, this is getting a proper VOD release (with limited theatrical showings) starting in March. Here is the full intro to this cinema creation via Indiewire: "Dad & Step-Dad was filmed in just four days during summer 2021, with a production budget of $18,000. The feature is entirely improvised and based on an outline and multiple rehearsals... The film uses cinéma vérité, documentary filmmaking, ASMR, and Japanese environmental music as cinematic inspirations." Jim and Dave, a dad and a step-dad, have trouble bonding during a 3-day weekend upstate with their son, Branson. It's entirely improvised, based off of a robust outline + several rehearsals. Starring Colin Burgess and Anthony Oberbeck, with Brian Fiddyment and Clare O'Kane. This is a funny trailer, filled with glowing quotes, including a bunch from Letterboxd users (they're hilarious). "And don't just take their word for it, you can form your own opinion."

Here's the new official trailer (+ poster) for Tynan DeLong's Dad & Step-Dad, direct from YouTube:

Dad & Step-Dad Poster

Dad & Step-Dad is a slow-burn, character-driven indie comedy that follows Jim and Dave on a weekend together at a cabin upstate to bond with their 13-year-old son, Branson. Tensions son mount however, as differing parenting techniques come to the fore. A symphony of passive aggressive quibbles delivered in hushed tones, furtive glances, and tense silence, the film plays like Frederick Wiseman directing an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Dad & Step-Dad is directed by indie filmmaker Tynan DeLong, making his first narrative feature after the doc film 1993 in the Sunshine Forever previously, plus tons of other short films before. The screenplay is co-written by Colin Burgess, Tynan DeLong, and Anthony Oberbeck. Produced by Graham Mason and Sarah Wilson. The film initially premiered last year on the streaming service NoBudge. Burgess & DeLong's Dad & Step-Dad has been playing in cinemas in NYC and will screening at other Alamo Drafthouses as well as on VOD starting on March 22nd, 2024 coming soon. Has anyone seen it already?
Parasite producer Barunson E&A is boarding Thai studio GDH‘s feature Delete, which is based in the universe created in the Netflix series of the same name. Parkpoom Wongpoom will return as director and writer, with the film shifting the action to the South Korean capital, Seoul. The film will primarily be shot in Korean. Delete explores an ominous world where a mysterious phone has the power to erase people from existence. Brunson E&A, known for Bing Joon-ho’s Oscar winner Parasite, launched international operations in 2022 and has since invested in and handled sales on non-Korean titles such as Taiwanese gangster rom-com Miss Shampoo and Vietnamese horror-comedy Don’y Cry, Butterfly. GDH is known for Asian box office hits such as last year’s How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies and 2017’s Bad Genius, which was recently adapted as a Hollywood movie produced by Erik Feig and Patrick Wachsberger.

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Prime Video Orders German Adventure Reality Show

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Mission Unknown: Atlantic is the latest originals on Prime Video in Germany. The adventure reality format will see social media star Jens ‘Knossi’ Knossalla, who invites famous friends on an extreme journey across the Atlantic. The first two eps will launch on Prime Video Germany on Friday, February 28, and will two weeks late be made available on Knossi’s YouTube channel. Banijay Productions Germany is making the show. This isn’t the first time an Amazon streamer has worked with a YouTube star on an unusual release structure, with Mission Unknown coming after 7 Vs Wild, whose third season played on the now-defunct Amazon Freevee and the social media platform at the same time. Mission Unknown will feature the likes of Joey Kelly, Sophia Thiel, Marc Eggers, Affe auf Bike, Willi Whey and Jodie Calussi. They will be split into teams and deal with everything from torn sails to broken technology, a lack of sleep, seasickness and stormy weather as they race to finish first. “Mission Unknown: Atlantic is a unique concept which bridges the gap between creators and traditional creatives,” said Arno Schneppenheim, Managing Director at Banijay Productions Germany. “By leveraging the popularity of the on-screen talent and our extensive, premium production expertise, we have a formidable format to bring to market.” Banijay made the show in collaboration with DLS Consulting.

Filming Kicks Off On Aimee Lou Wood’s ‘Daddy Issues’ Season 2

Filming has kicked off on Season 2 of Aimee Lou Wood series Daddy Issues. The BBC show was BBC Three’s biggest comedy launch since the channel was reinstated. The end of Season 1 saw
Gemma, played by Sex Education star Wood, going into labor at Rita’s (Sarah Hadland) salon, then giving birth to baby Sadie with friends Cherry (Taj Atwal) and Xander (Arian Nik) by her side. Meanwhile Malcolm rushed to make it to the hospital in time, with toxic friend Derek (David Fynn) in tow. David Morrisey stars alongside Wood as her father. The show is produced by Fudge Park and sold by Fremantle. More information on new casting is coming in due course.

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The trailer for The Mehta Boys has been released, giving us a look at a touching father-son story. On Wednesday, Prime Video shared the trailer on social media. The movie, directed by Boman Irani, was co-written with Alexander Dinelaris, who has won an Academy Award. Boman Irani, along with Danesh Irani, Vikesh Bhutani, and Shujaat Saudagar, produced the film under Irani Movietone LLP and Chalkboard Entertainment LLP.

The movie stars Boman Irani, Avinash Tiwary, Shreya Chaudhry, and Puja Sarup. The trailer shows a story about family struggles, emotions, and how people change and grow.

Speaking about the movie, Boman Irani shared, “For me, The Mehta Boys is an extremely personal journey. The relationship between a father and son is one of the most complex and emotionally charged dynamics. With this film, I wanted to delve into how the bond between two people who deeply care for each other can be tested by time, misunderstandings, and unresolved issues. It is a story that has stayed with me for years, and I’m thrilled to finally share it with audiences in India and across the world on Prime Video. I am deeply grateful to the talented cast for bringing their characters to life with such depth and authenticity, enriching the story in every way.”

Avinash Tiwary, who portrays the role of Boman Irani’s son Amay in the movie, mentioned, “Amay’s character is layered with complexities, torn between familial loyalty and personal resentment. Certain circumstances force him into an intense and transformative encounter with his father, reshaping his perspective in ways he never anticipated.”

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“Portraying this journey was both challenging and rewarding. I am proud to be part of a movie that explores such relatable themes of family ties and reconciliation,” he added. The Mehta Boys is set to premiere on Prime Video in India and over 240 countries and territories worldwide on 7 February 2025.
Like Father Like Son is a deeply flawed film that avoids redeeming qualities in the story or characters in favor of sensationalized violence. While several notable stars appear in the film, which was written and directed by Barry Jay, none of them manage to deliver likable, engaging, or believable characters. Instead, from start to finish, the movie feels like a half-baked idea which never had time to be refined or improved.

Not Rated Yet
Drama
Thriller
Release Date
January 31, 2025
Director
Barry Jay
Writers
Barry Jay
Cast
Cast Placeholder Image
Dylan Flashner
Headshot Of Ariel Winter in The Wags & Walks 10th Annual Gala
Ariel Winter
Headshot Of Vivica A. Fox
Vivica A. Fox
Cast Placeholder Image
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Like Father Like Son, directed by Barry Jay, follows Eli, whose father is on death row for murder. As Eli's life unravels, he becomes aware of his own alarming tendencies and takes drastic steps to break the cycle of violence within his family.

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Like Father Like Son opens up with a middle-aged father brutally killing a teenager for bullying a random child. After calling the police on his father, Eli tries to make a life for himself and get past his father's murderous actions, but he finds himself constantly thinking about his father. Then, he goes on to become violent and brutal, just like his dad, as life continues to pass him by.

Nothing In Like Father, Like Son Makes Sense
Like Father Like Son
While the plot on its surface appears to be simple, and potentially even engaging, the execution leads to complete and total confusion and dysfunction. Eli hates his father for being a monster, but his pent-up anger pushes him to be a violent and short-tempered man just like him. This cycle of abuse is well-documented and makes perfect sense. However, the movie makes the bizarre choice to frame both Eli and his father as sort of vigilante heroes. Except, their vigilante justice is doled out to targets who are merely annoying or slightly mean.

While the plot on its face appears to be simple, and potentially even engaging, the execution leads to complete and total confusion and dysfunction.

It appears that Eli's father, Gabe, played by Dermot Mulroney, was always good to his son. But he feels justified in killing, including a teenage bully. Then, as Eli begins to embrace his dark side, he also makes violent and extreme choices, doling out his brand of justice to people who range from actual monsters to others, who, again, are only just rude. The result is central characters who have no redeeming qualities, and who I fail to connect with. But beyond that, every other character is similarly unlikable.

On top of the awful cyclical character arcs, the way the story is edited — with flashes forward and back constantly littering the runtime — feels completely out of its depth in trying to tell a story and utterly fails to communicate anything sensible or meaningful. And things only continue to get worse, weirder, and more frustrating as the movie goes on.

Like Father Like Son Exhausts All Of Its Good Will
Like Father Like Son (1)
Having a low budget does not excuse the abysmal quality of Like Father Like Son. With several notable actors in the film, including Mulroney, Ariel Winter, Mayim Bialik, and Vivica A. Fox, the movie neglects to capitalize on their talents, and their presence simply highlights the surrounding inexperience. Dylan Flashner puts in a good effort to play the lead role as Eli, but in all honesty, the film's lack outweighs anything and anyone else.

The film is confusing in terms of messages about violence, which it simultaneously appears to abhor and uphold...

With a foundation that could have been made into something worthwhile, it feels like a terrible waste that this is the outcome. The film is confusing in terms of messages about violence, which it simultaneously appears to abhor and uphold, and aimless, as seen by the movie's struggle to move through time and progress from one scene to the next in an effective way. Like Father Like Son lacks a punch despite the thriller genre, and the results are a muddled frenzy of violence and frustration.

Movie
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2/10
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Like Father Like Son
Release Date
January 31, 2025
Director
Barry Jay
Writers
Barry Jay
Cast
Cast Placeholder Image
Dylan Flashner
Headshot Of Ariel Winter in The Wags & Walks 10th Annual Gala
Ariel Winter
Headshot Of Vivica A. Fox
Vivica A. Fox
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Pros & Cons
The characters are inconsistent, hollow, and aimless.
The progression of time is handled in a bizarre way that stunts the film.
The entire plot of the film feels devoid of reason or meaning.
Movies
Movies
Like Father Like Son
Like Father Like
Azaad

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Abhishek Kapoor
Screenplay by
Ritesh Shah
Suresh Nair
Chandan Arora
Story by
Ritesh Shah
Suresh Nair
Abhishek Kapoor
Produced by Ronnie Screwvala
Pragya Kapoor
Starring
Ajay Devgn
Diana Penty
Aaman Devgan
Rasha Thadani
Cinematography Satyajit Pande (Setu)
Edited by Chandan Arora
Music by Songs:
Amit Trivedi
Score:
Hitesh Sonik
Production
companies
RSVP Movies
Guy In The Sky Picture
Distributed by AA Films
Release date
17 January 2025
Running time 145 minutes[1]
Country India
Language Hindi
Budget ₹80 crore[2]
Box office ₹8.67 crore[3]
Azaad (transl. Independent) is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language period drama film directed by Abhishek Kapoor and produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Pragya Kapoor.[4] The film stars Ajay Devgn and Diana Penty[5] alongside debutants Aaman Devgan[6] and Rasha Thadani.[7][8][9]

Azaad was theatrically released on 17 January 2025, to mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, leading to a box office failure.[10][11]

Premise
In 1920s India, a young stable boy forms an extraordinary bond with a spirited horse named Azaad. Their intertwined journey unfolds as a tale of rebellion and resilience, where his quest to ride the majestic horse transforms into a path of self-discovery and courage.

Cast
Ajay Devgn as Vikram Singh
Diana Penty as Kesar Bahadur
Aaman Devgan as Govind[12]
Rasha Thadani as Janaki Bahadur
Mohit Malik as Tej Bahadur
Piyush Mishra as Rai Bahadur
Natasha Rastogi as Nani
Sandeep Shikhar as Braj
Jiya Imran Amin as Daani
Mukund Ramesh Pal as Rajab
Gaurav Yavanika as Jai Singh
Andrew Crouch as James Cummings
Dylan Jones as Lord Cummings
Rakesh Sharma as Jamal
Akshay Anand as Biru
Jagannath Seth as Dacoit
Khusboo Ajwani as Maid
Arvind Bilgaiyan as Munimji
Alok Porwal as Bearer Ratan Singh
Ramshankar as Pandit British Residency
Neeraj Kadela as Mute Priest
Ravindra Dubey as Priest at Zamindar House
Rakesh Bidua as Kesar’s father
Aishwarya Sharma as Janki's friend
Vivek Bahaduria as Bhusar shopkeeper
Marketing
The film was announced by Ajay Devgn during the promotion of Singham Again on 30 October 2024[13][14] and the teaser was released on 5 November 2024.[15][16] While the release date of the film was announced on 30 November 2024.[17][18] The trailer was dropped on 6 January 2025.[19][20]

Music
Azaad
Soundtrack album by Amit Trivedi
Released 10 January 2025
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Length 19:50
Language Hindi
Label Zee Music Company
Amit Trivedi chronology
Tera Kya Hoga Lovely
(2024) Azaad
(2025)

Official audio
Azaad Full Album on YouTube
The music of the film is composed by Amit Trivedi while lyrics are written by Amitabh Bhattacharya and Swanand Kirkire. The first single titled "Birangay" was released on 12 December 2024.[21] The second single titled "Azaad Hai Tu" was released on 22 December 2024.[22] The third single titled "Uyi Amma" was released on 4 January 2025.[23] The fourth single "Ajeeb-O-Gareeb" was released on 10 January 2025.[24]

Track listing
No. Title Lyrics Singer(s) Length
1. "Ajeeb-O-Gareeb" Amitabh Bhattacharya Arijit Singh, Hansika Pareek 4:15
2. "Azaad Hai Tu" Swanand Kirkire, Amitabh Bhattacharya Arijit Singh, Amit Trivedi 3:58
3. "Birangay" Amitabh Bhattacharya Amit Trivedi, Meenal Jain 3:22
4. "Uyi Amma" Amitabh Bhattacharya Madhubanti Bagchi 4:13
5. "Azaad Hai Tu" (Reprise) Amitabh Bhattacharya Amit Trivedi 4:02
Total length: 19:50
Release
The film was theatrically released on 17 January 2025.[25]

Reception
Critical response
Bollywood Hungama rated the movie 2.0/5 and said, "AZAAD movie struggles to captivate due to a lackluster first half, a weak script, and the absence of a romantic angle. At the box office, the limited buzz around the film will pose challenges, though the Cinema Lovers Day offer might provide some relief to an extent on Day 1."[26]

Pinkvilla rated the movie 3/5 and said, "Azaad is worth a watch for those interested in a simple, well-made period piece that doesn't aim to reinvent the wheel but rolls smoothly along the path laid before it. You can watch Azaad in theatres now. Are you going to watch the movie in theatres? Let us know."[27]

Abhishek Srivastava from Timesofindia rated the movie 3/5 and said ,"While ‘Azaad’ has moments of grandeur, it is overshadowed by an overall lack of emotional and narrative payoff. It is a grand spectacle with noble intentions but leaves a muted impression."[28]

Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the movie 1.5/5 and said "The weak and disjointed screenplay stymies the efforts of the two newcomers, Raveena Tandon's daughter Rasha Thadani and Ajay Devgn's nephew Aaman Devgan, to make an impression." [29]

Shubhra Gupta of Indian express rated the movie 1/5 and said "Rasha Thadani, Aaman Devgan wasted in moth-balled film. Why are such films still being made in 2025? And is Abhishek Kapoor, who made the terrific ‘Kai Po Che’ and ‘Rock On’, really the director of this mothballed exercise?" [30]

Vineeta Kumar of India Today rated the movie 2.5/5 and said "In Azaad, Rasha Thadani and Amaan Devgan look promising with their debut performance, but that's not enough. This Abhishek Kapoor film looks extremely one-toned, and relies heavily on anthropomorphism." [31]

Box office
The film collected ₹1.40 crore on its opening day.[32] On 5th day of its release the movie collected 4.8cr.[33]

References
"Azaad (2025) Film". www.cbfcindia.gov.in. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
"Azaad Box Office Collection Day 4 (Early Trends): Crashes on Monday with over 50% Drop!". Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
"Azaad Box Office Collection". Bollywood Hungama. 19 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
"Azaad teaser: Ajay Devgn leads nephew Aaman Devgan into battle; Raveena Tandon's daughter Rasha Thadani portrays royalty". The Indian Express. 5 November 2024. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
"Ajay Devgn's New Film Featuring Rasha Thadani And Aaman Devgan Is Titled Azaad". NDTV. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
"Azaad: Ajay Devgn Unveils Release Date Rasha Thadani And Aaman Devgns Debut Film". Zee News. Archived from the original on 1 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
"Azaad teaser: Ajay Devgn introduces Rasha Thadani, Aaman Devgan in period drama". India Today. 5 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
"Ajay Devgn introduces nephew Aaman Devgan, Rasha Thadani in 'Azaad' teaser". The Times of India. 6 November 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
"Azaad Teaser: Ajay Devgn Joins Debutants Aaman Devgn & Rasha Thadani | Filmfare.com". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
Features, C. E. (2 December 2024). "Ajay Devgn's nephew Aaman Devgan's 'Azaad' gets release date". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
"Azaad trailer: Aaman Devgn is obsessed with 'duniya ka sabse sundar ghoda' in period drama starring Ajay Devgn, Rasha Thadani". The Indian Express. 6 January 2025. Archived from the original on 8 January 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
"Aaman Devgan Was 'Nervous' While Working With Uncle Ajay Devgn In Azaad: 'I Was Not...'". News18. Archived from the original on 6 January 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
"Ajay Devgn's nephew, Aaman, Raveena Tandon's daughter Rasha to debut with 'Azaad'". The Times of India. 30 October 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
"Rasha Thadani-Aaman Devgan debut with Ajay Devgn's Azaad. See poster". India Today. 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
"Azaad teaser: Ajay Devgn, Aaman Devgn, Rasha Thadani's new film feels like a Tarzan Wonder Car sequel… but with a horse". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
"Azaad teaser out! Ajay's nephew Aaman Devgn to debut in action-drama movie". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
Features, C. E. (2 December 2024). "Ajay Devgn's nephew Aaman Devgan's 'Azaad' gets release date". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
Pande, Shreyas (30 November 2024). "Ajay Devgn announces release date of nephew Aaman Devgan's Azaad". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
Rawal, Sugandha (6 January 2025). "Azaad trailer: Ajay Devgn, Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani get caught in mishmash story of a horse". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
"'Azaad' trailer: Ajay Devgn, Aaman Devgan, Rasha Thadani promise an emotional adventure centering on a horse". The Hindu. 6 January 2025. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
"Azaad song Birangay OUT: Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani showcase their dance skills in soulful Holi track". Pinkvilla. 12 December 2024. Archived from the original on 12 December 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
"दिल जीत रहा 'आजाद' का नया गाना, टीजर देख गदगद हुए फैंस, सितारों की मौजूदगी में लॉन्च होने को तैयार". News18 Hindi. 21 December 2024. Archived from the original on 9 January 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
"Azaad: Rasha Thadani Lights Up The Dance Floor In The Sizzling Uyi Amma Song, Watch". News18. Archived from the original on 4 January 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
"Arijit Singh lends voice to 'Ajeeb-O-Gareeb' song in 'Azad'". ThePrint. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
"Azaad: Release date of debut film of Raveena Tandon's daughter Rasha, Ajay Devgn's nephew Aaman out now". ThePrint. 30 November 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
"Azaad Movie Review: AZAAD struggles to captivate". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 20 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
"Azaad Review: Ajay Devgn and Diana Penty lend able support to Rasha Thadani and Aaman Devgn in this simple yet effective story of a royal black stallion".
"Azaad Movie Review : A tale of resistance that falls short of its full potential". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
"Azaad Review: The Film Has Runaway Disaster Written All Over It". Retrieved 22 January 2025.
"Azaad Review - Indian Express". Retrieved 22 January 2025.
"Azaad review: Boredom screams louder than the horse's neigh in Rasha-Amaan's film". Retrieved 22 January 2025.
"Box Office Estimate Day 1: Emergency collects approx. Rs. 2 cr. while Azaad collects approx. Rs. 1.4 cr. on Friday". Bollywood Hungama. 17 January 2025. Archived from the original on 17 January 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
"Azaad Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. 17 January 2025.
External links
Azaad at IMDb
Azaad at Bollywood Hungama
vte
Ajay Devgn
vte
Films directed and written by Abhishek Kapoor
Categories: 2025 films2020s Hindi-language filmsFilms directed by Abhishek KapoorIndian historical drama films
Dragon

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Ashwath Marimuthu
Screenplay by Ashwath Marimuthu[1]
Story by Ashwath Marimuthu
Pradeep Ranganathan
Produced by Kalpathi S. Aghoram
Kalpathi S. Ganesh
Kalpathi S. Suresh
Starring
Pradeep Ranganathan
Anupama Parameswaran
Kayadu Lohar
Cinematography Niketh Bommireddy
Edited by Pradeep E. Ragav
Music by Leon James
Production
company
AGS Entertainment
Release date
21 February 2025
Country India
Language Tamil
Budget ₹12 crore[2][3]
Dragon is an upcoming Indian Tamil-language film written and directed by Ashwath Marimuthu, from a story he co-wrote with Pradeep Ranganathan, and produced by AGS Entertainment. The film stars Pradeep in the titular role, alongside Anupama Parameswaran, Kayadu Lohar, George Maryan, Indumathy Manikandan, K. S. Ravikumar, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mysskin, VJ Siddhu and Harshath Khan.

The film was officially announced in April 2024 under the tentative title #PradeepAshwathCombo, as it is the first collaboration between Pradeep and Ashwath, and the official title was announced a few days later. Principal photography commenced the following month in Chennai. The film has music composed by Leon James, cinematography handled by Niketh Bommi and editing by Pradeep E. Ragav.

Dragon is scheduled to be released worldwide on 21 February 2025 in theatres.

Cast
Pradeep Ranganathan as Ragavan "Dragon" Dhanapal
Anupama Parameswaran as Keerthi, Ragavan's love interest
Kayadu Lohar as Pallavi, Ragavan's love interest
George Maryan as Dhanapal, Ragavan's father
Indumathy Manikandan as Chitra Dhanapal, Ragavan's mother
K. S. Ravikumar as Parasuram
Gautham Vasudev Menon as Vale Kumar
Mysskin as Mayilvahanan
VJ Siddhu as Anbu
Harshath Khan as Vetri
Murugesan from Malaysia
Production
Development
After the success of Oh My Kadavule in 2020, Silambarasan congratulated director Ashwath Marimuthu for the film's success, leading speculations that they would collaborate for the director's next directorial venture.[4] Reports of a potential collaboration persisted through January 2022,[5][6] with AGS Entertainment reported as the project's funder.[7] Touted to be a romantic comedy, production was reportedly set to begin later that year.[8] However, for unspecified reasons, the project was eventually shelved.[9] Silambarasan moved on to STR 48, directed by Desingh Periyasamy, while Ashwath took on the Telugu remake of Oh My Kadavule.[10]

In December 2023, Pradeep Ranganathan, a long-time friend of Ashwath Marimuthu, was reported to collaborate with him for Pradeep's third acting film after Love Today (2022) and Love Insurance Kompany.[11] AGS Entertainment was confirmed to be the project's funder, and made a public announcement on 10 April 2024, confirming the project, tentatively titled #PradeepAshwathCombo and #AGS26.[12] The team retained collaborators from their previous films, including composer Leon James, editor Pradeep E. Ragav, and publicity designer Kabilan Chelliah; S. M. Venkat Manickam was appointed as the executive producer by the production house, while cinematographer Niketh Bommireddy was chosen to handle the cinematography.[13] Ashwath clarified the script he narrated to Silambarasan was not the same, after reports claimed it to be.[14] The film's official title, Dragon, was announced on 5 May.[15]

Casting
Pradeep would be playing a student as a main character for the first time.[16][17] Anupama Parameswaran would be pairing opposite Pradeep,[18] in her fourth Tamil film after Kodi (2016), Thalli Pogathey (2021) and Siren (2024).[19][20] K. S. Ravikumar, Gautham Vasudev Menon and Mysskin were confirmed to be playing important roles, in their first collaboration with Pradeep and Ashwath.[21][22] YouTubers VJ Siddhu and Harshath Khan would make their film acting sophomore after Nenjamundu Nermaiyundu Odu Raja (2019),[23] whilst Kayadu Lohar would make her Tamil film debut with this film.[24] Shortly thereafter, George Maryan and Indumathy Manikandan were announced to play the title character's parents.[25]

Filming
Principal photography began with first schedule on 5 May 2024 with an inaugural puja at a film city in Chennai on the day before.[26] On 4 October, the director confirmed that the filming has entered into its last schedule.[27]

Music
Dragon
Soundtrack album by Leon James
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Language Tamil
Label Think Music India
Producer Leon James
Singles from Dragon
"Rise of Dragon"
Released: 2 January 2025
"Vazhithunaiye"
Released: 13 January 2025
"Yendi Vittu Pona"
Released: 28 January 2025
The music and background score is composed by Leon James, in his first collaboration with Pradeep; and his third with Ashwath after Oh My Kadavule and its Telugu remake Ori Devuda.[28] The first single "Rise of Dragon" was released on 2 January 2025.[29] The second single "Vazhithunaiye" released on 13 January 2025.[30] The third single in Tamil "Yendi Vittu Pona" sung by Silambarasan released on 28 January 2025.[31]

Tamil
No. Title Lyrics Singer(s) Length
1. "Rise of Dragon" Vignesh Shivan Anirudh Ravichander 3:30
2. "Vazhithunaiye" Vignesh Shivan
Ko Sesha Sid Sriram
Sanjana Kalamanje 3:39
3. "Yendi Vittu Pona" Ko Sesha Silambarasan 04:27
Telugu
No. Title Lyrics Singer(s) Length
1. "Rise of Dragon" Ramajogayya Sastry Leon James, Nadisha Thomas
2. "Madhuvaramae" Ramajogayya Sastry Sarath Santhosh, Srinisha Jayaseelan
3. "Yendhukae Nannodhilaavu" Ramajogayya Sastry Deepak Blue
Release
Theatrical
Dragon is scheduled to be released worldwide in 21 February 2025 in theatres.[32] It was previously scheduled for 14 February.[33]

Home media
On 15 January 2025, Netflix announced that they have acquired the digital streaming rights of Dragon along with a list of 8 other films.[34][35]

References
Nasreen, Raisa (12 October 2024). "Dragon First Look: Pradeep Ranganathan Is The 'Worstu Student' In Ashwanth Marimuthu's Film". Times Now. Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
Yathrika (28 December 2024). "டிராகன் படத்திற்காக பிரதீப் ரங்கநாதனுக்கு இத்தனை கோடி சம்பளமா?". Cineulagam (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 29 December 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
Murugan (28 December 2024). "சம்பளமா இவ்வளவு கோடி வேணும்!.. கறார் காட்டும் பிரதீப் ரங்கநாதன்!. தப்பு புரோ!." Cinereporters (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 29 December 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
"Simbu lauds Ashok Selvan and Ritika Singh's Oh My Kadavule". India Today. 12 March 2020. Archived from the original on 23 May 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
"Has Simbu signed his next with director Ashwath Marimuthu?". The Times of India. 20 January 2022. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
"Simbu to Act in Director Ashwath Marimuthu's Next". News18. 21 January 2022. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
sharpana (19 January 2022). "'ஓ மை கடவுளே' பட இயக்குநர் அஷ்வத் மாரிமுத்துவுடன் இணையும் சிம்பு". Puthiya Thalaimurai (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
Menon, Thinkal (19 January 2022). "Silambarasan, Ashwath Marimuthu to team up for a project for AGS Productions". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 5 May 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
"Director Ashwath Marimuthu on his film with Silambarasan: We'll go ahead when he is ready". The Times of India. 12 April 2024. Archived from the original on 25 April 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
Manu, Hridyambika A (19 December 2023). "Is Pradeep Ranganathan teaming up with THIS director for his next?". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
"Pradeep Ranganathan Set To Join Hands With Oh My Kadavulae Director Ashwath Marimuthu". News18. 21 December 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
AGS Entertainment [@Ags_production] (10 April 2024). "Thrilled to bring to you yet another blockbuster combo for our next production! #KalpathiSAghoram #KalpathiSGanesh #KalpathiSSuresh proudly announce #AGS26 #PradeepAshwathCombo" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024 – via Twitter.
"Pradeep Ranganathan's next untitled announcement video unveiled". DT Next. 10 April 2024. Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
Sundar, Anusha (12 April 2024). "'Silambarasan sir appreciated Oh My Kadavule for 1.5 hours,' says Ashwath Marimuthu, who adds he has a different script for the actor". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
"'Dragon': First look of Pradeep Ranganathan - 'Oh My Kadavule' director's next out". The Hindu. 12 October 2024. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
M, Narayani (12 October 2024). "First look of Pradeep Ranganathan's Dragon out". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
"Pradeep Ranganathan turns a worstu student for Ashwath Marimuthu's 'Dragon'; first look revealed". The Times of India. 12 October 2024. Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
"Anupama Parameswaran onboard Dragon". DT Next. 12 October 2024. Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
Sundar, Anusha (30 June 2024). "Dragon: Anupama Parameswaran cast opposite Pradeep Ranganathan in Ashwath Marimuthu film | Deets inside". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
"Dragon: Anupama Parameswaran to romance Pradeep Ranganathan? Here's the latest update". Desimartini. 30 June 2024. Archived from the original on 30 June 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
"THESE three directors-turned-actors join Pradeep Ranganathan's 'Dragon'". The Times of India. 10 November 2024. Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
Mullappilly, Sreejith (9 November 2024). "Mysskin, Gautham Vasudev Menon, and KS Ravikumar join Dragon cast". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
M, Narayani (9 November 2024). "VJ Siddhu and Harshath Khan join Pradeep Ranganathan's Dragon". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
"Kayadu Lohar joins Pradeep Ranganathan's Dragon". The Times of India. 7 November 2024. Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
B, Jayabhuvaneshwari (11 November 2024). "George Maryan and Indumathi Manikandan onboard Pradeep Ranganathan's Dragon". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 23 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
"Dragon — Ashwath Marimuthu and Pradeep Ranganathan's film title revealed; shooting begins | Deets inside". Desimartini. 5 May 2024. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
"Ashwath Marimuthu reveals Pradeep Ranganathan starrer Dragon update". Cinema Express. 4 October 2024. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
"Pradeep Ranganathan's next untitled announcement video unveiled". DT Next. 10 April 2024. Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
"Pradeep Ranganathan and Gautham Vasudev Menon shake their leg to 'Rise of Dragon' song". Cinema Express. 2 January 2025. Archived from the original on 2 January 2025. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
Kumar, Akshay (13 January 2025). "'Vazhithunaiye' from Pradeep Ranganathan's Dragon out". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
Kumar, Akshay (28 January 2025). "'Yendi Vittu Pona' from Pradeep-Ashwath's Dragon out". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 28 January 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
"Release of Ashwath Marimuthu's 'Dragon' postponed to February 21". DT Next. IANS. 19 January 2025. Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
Kumar, Akshay (15 January 2025). "Pradeep-Ashwath's Dragon gets a Valentine's Day release". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 15 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
"2025 தமிழ் படங்கள்". Zee News (in Tamil). 15 January 2025. Archived from the original on 15 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
"Ajith's Good Bad Ugly, Dulquer Salmaan's Kaantha, Kamal Haasan's Thug Life: Netflix announces its Tamil cinema lineup for 2025". Business Today. 15 January 2025. Archived from the original on 15 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
External links
Dragon at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata
Categories: Upcoming films2025 films2020s Indian films2020s Tamil-language filmsAGS Entertainment filmsFilms directed by Ashwath MarimuthuFilms scored by Leon James (composer)Films set in ChennaiFilms set in universities and collegesFilms shot in ChennaiTamil-language Indian filmsUpcoming Indian filmsUpcoming Tamil-language films
Daddio

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Christy Hall
Written by Christy Hall
Produced by
Dakota Johnson
Ro Donnelly
Emma Tillinger Koskoff
Christy Hall
Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis
Terry Dougas
Starring
Dakota Johnson
Sean Penn
Cinematography Phedon Papamichael
Edited by Lisa Zeno Churgin
Music by Dickon Hinchliffe
Production
companies
Hercules Film Fund
TeaTime Pictures
Raindrop Valley
Projected Picture Works
Rhea Films
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
Release dates
September 1, 2023 (Telluride)
June 28, 2024 (United States)
Running time 101 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Box office $1.1 million[2]
Daddio is a 2023 American drama film produced, written and directed by Christy Hall. It stars Dakota Johnson (who also produced) as a young woman returning home to Midtown Manhattan from JFK International Airport[3] by cab after a trip, who unexpectedly ends up conversing with her taxi driver (Sean Penn).

After premiering at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2023, Daddio was released in select cinemas in the United States and Canada by Sony Pictures Classics on June 28, 2024.[4]

Premise

This article needs an improved plot summary. Please help improve the plot summary. (June 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
After landing at JFK International Airport, a young woman takes a cab back to her apartment in Manhattan. During the ride, she and the cab driver, Clark, have unexpectedly honest conversations about numerous topics, including their past and present relationships, sex and power dynamics, loss, and vulnerability.[5]

Cast
Dakota Johnson as Girlie[6]
Sean Penn as Clark
Production
The film was originally conceived as a stage play in New York City.[3] In October 2017, it was announced that Daisy Ridley would star in the film, based on a spec script by Christy Hall.[7] That December, the script was included on that year's "Black List" of the most-liked unproduced scripts in Hollywood.[8] In June 2021, it was announced that Johnson had replaced Ridley and that Penn was also cast in the film.[5][9] Johnson was the one to initially suggest Penn and personally sent him the script.[10]

Principal photography occurred in New York City and in Jersey City, New Jersey, in December 2022.[11] It was shot in 16 days.[3] The film entered post-production in January 2023.[12]

All scenes taking place within the cab were shot on a sound stage using on-set virtual production, consisting of large LED video screens on which digital environments were rendered. The actors performed in front of the screens in real time.[10]

Release
Daddio premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2023.[13] It also screened at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2023, as part of its special screening program.[14][1] Later that month, Sony Pictures Classics acquired distribution rights to the film for North and Latin America as well as some European and Asian territories, scheduling it for a theatrical release sometime in 2024.[15] It was released in the United States and Canada on June 28, 2024.[16][17][4]

Daddio was released in Germany June 27, and in Argentina June 28, 2024. The film was scheduled to be released in Russia and the CIS on July 11, 2024.[4]

Reception
Box office
In the United States and Canada, the film made $424,091 from 628 theaters in its opening weekend.[18]

Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 77% of 100 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "A ruminative chamber piece on wheels, Daddio feels expansive thanks to Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn's compelling rapport."[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 62 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[20]

Peter DeBruge of Variety gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Every aspect of Daddio is designed to spark conversation. But it’s sweeter and more satisfying than you might expect..."[21] Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter also gave the film a positive review, calling it "A deftly executed debut feature."[22] Todd McCarthy of Deadline Hollywood also gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Sean Penn is at his absolute best here in a tremendously engaging performance as a salty working-class guy with an endless supply of opinions and ways of drawing out his passengers, while Dakota Johnson more than holds her own as a game passenger increasingly willing to share her problems with the amateur shrink behind the wheel."[23]

References
"Daddio". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
"Daddio". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
"Sean Penn takes Dakota Johnson for a fateful cab ride in 'Daddio' first look". Entertainment Weekly.
"Daddio (2024)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
Kroll, Justin (June 16, 2021). "Dakota Johnson And Sean Penn To Star In Christy Hall's 'Daddio'–Hot Cannes Package". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
Tallerico, Brian (September 15, 2023). "TIFF 2023: Woman of the Hour, Daddio, The New Boy". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
Kroll, Justin (October 3, 2017). "Daisy Ridley to Star in Drama 'Daddio' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
Hipes, Patrick (December 11, 2017). "The Black List 2017 Screenplays: Post-WWII Tale 'Ruin' Is No. 1 – Full Rankings". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
Sneider, Jeff (June 16, 2021). "Dakota Johnson Replaces Daisy Ridley in Indie Movie 'Daddio' Starring Sean Penn". Collider. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
Nemiroff, Perri (September 17, 2023). "'Daddio' Is the First Grounded Drama to Use 'Mandalorian' Technology". Collider. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
Lissner, Caren (December 21, 2022). "Sean Penn And Dakota Johnson Shooting Movie 'Daddio' In Hoboken". Patch. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
Kroll, Justin (January 26, 2023). "Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni To Star In 'It Ends With Us'; Baldoni Also Directing Sony And Wayfarer Studios' Adaptation Of Colleen Hoover Novel". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
Davis, Clayton (August 30, 2023). "Telluride Lineup Includes World Premieres of 'Saltburn,' 'The Bikeriders' and 'Rustin' With Tributes for Yorgos Lanthimos and Wim Wenders". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
Vlessing, Etan (August 10, 2023). "Jenna Ortega's Finestkind, Dakota Johnson's Daddio Added to Toronto Film Fest Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023.
Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 21, 2023). "Sony Pictures Classics Hails Ride With 'Daddio,' Christy Hall's Telluride Toronto Fest Preem: Sean Penn & Dakota Johnson On JFK Yellow Cab Ride". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
"Daddio". Sony Classics. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
Grobar, Matt (March 19, 2024). "Daddio Release Date Set By Sony Pictures Classics". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
"Domestic 2024 Weekend 26". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
"Daddio". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 2, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
"Daddio". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
Debruge, Peter (September 3, 2023). "'Daddio' Review: Sean Penn Takes Dakota Johnson for a Ride in Bold, Conversation-Igniting Debut". Variety. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
Farber, Stephen (September 3, 2023). "'Daddio' Review: Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn Shine in a Taxi-Set Two-Hander". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
McCarthy, Todd (September 4, 2023). "'Daddio' Review: Sean Penn And Dakota Johnson Drive Breakthrough First Film From Christy Hall – Telluride Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
External links
Daddio at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata
Categories: 2023 films2023 directorial debut films2023 drama films2023 independent films2020s American films2020s English-language filmsAmerican drama filmsAmerican independent filmsEnglish-language drama filmsEnglish-language independent filmsFilms about conversationsFilms about taxisFilms set in ManhattanFilms set in Queens, New YorkFilms shot in New JerseyFilms shot in New York CityProductions using StageCraftSony Pictures Classics filmsTwo-handersFilms scored by Dickon Hinchliffe
Game Changer

Theatrical release poster
Directed by S. Shankar
Screenplay by Vivek Velmurugan
Dialogues by Sai Madhav Burra
Story by Karthik Subbaraj
Produced by
Dil Raju
Shirish
Starring
Ram Charan
Kiara Advani
Anjali
S. J. Suryah
Srikanth
Sunil
Jayaram
Samuthirakani
Cinematography Tirru
Edited by Shameer Muhammed
Ruben
Music by Thaman S
Production
company
Sri Venkateswara Creations
Distributed by see below
Release date
10 January 2025
Running time 165 minutes[1]
Country India
Language Telugu
Budget ₹350–425 crore[a]
Box office est. ₹178 crore[6]
Game Changer is a 2025 Indian Telugu-language political action film directed by S. Shankar, in his Telugu debut, and produced by Dil Raju under Sri Venkateswara Creations. The film stars Ram Charan in dual roles, alongside Kiara Advani, Anjali, S. J. Suryah, Srikanth, Sunil, Jayaram and Samuthirakani.

The film was officially announced in February 2021, with its title revealed in March 2023. Principal photography began in October 2021 and wrapped in July 2024, following multiple production delays. Filming took place across various locations in India, as well as international destinations including Japan, China, Malaysia, Cambodia and New Zealand. The film has music composed by Thaman S, cinematography handled by Tirru and editing by Shameer Muhammed and Ruben.

Game Changer was released on 10 January 2025, coinciding with Sankranthi, in various formats including standard, IMAX, 4DX, Dolby Cinema, and Qube EPIQ. The film received mixed reviews from critics and emerged as a box-office bomb.[7][8]

Plot

This article needs an improved plot summary. Please help improve the plot summary. (January 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Ram Nandan completes the interview process of becoming a district magistrate through the UPSC Exam and is on his way to his posting in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. However, on the way, he is attacked by a gang sent by his rival from college, who works in sand mining under the contract of the Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Bobbili Mopidevi, the son of Chief Minister Bobbili Sathyamoorthy and the younger brother of the Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Bobbili Munimanikyam.

Mopidevi has always wanted to be the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, but is scared that the position would instead go to his elder brother, as he is the eldest heir of Sathyamoorthy. Ram begins his works as a district magistrate and calls the wrongdoers in the district for a meeting the next day of his arrival at the posting. At first, he begs them to stop the wrongdoing. However, they mock him, thinking it is a joke. Ram then decides to take the wrongdoers and go to one of them's harbour, where they say that they are selling rice. However, he finds proof of them selling narcotics instead.

Cast
Ram Charan in a dual role as:
District collector ASP Dr. Ram Nandan IAS,IPS officer of Andhra Pradesh
Appanna, Ram's father and the founder of Abhyudayam Party
Kiara Advani as Dr. Deepika, Ram's love interest-turned-wife
Anjali as Parvathy, Appanna's wife and Ram's mother
S. J. Suryah as Bobbili Mopidevi, Acting Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
Srikanth as Bobbili Sathyamurthy, Bobbili Mopidevi's father and Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
Sunil as "Side" Satyam, Ram Nandan's friend
Jayaram as Bobbili Munimanikyam, Bobbili Mopidevi’s elder brother and Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh
Samuthirakani as Sabha, Appanna's companion and Sathyamurthy’s best friend
Brahmanandam as District Collector Kalyan Sundaram
Rajeev Kanakala as Mukundha, Appanna’s friend
Naresh as Ram’s adoptive father
Naveen Chandra as Sand Simha, Bobbili Mopidevi's deputy and Ram’s rival from college
Vennela Kishore as a Gumthax Eaveteaser
Achyuth Kumar as Professor K. P., Deepika’s father
Subhalekha Sudhakar as a senior party worker
Prudhvi Raj as Bobbili Mopidevi’s assistant
Raghu Babu as a party worker
Priyadarshi Pulikonda as Ram's friend
Satya as Ram's friend
Venkatesh Kakumanu as Ram's friend
Chaitanya Krishna as Ram's friend
Harsha Chemudu as Ram’s friend
Sudharshan as Ram’s friend
Rocket Raghava
Praveena as Ram’s adoptive mother
Racha Ravi as a local goon
Kishore Kumar Polimera as Appanna’s companion
Viswant Duddumpudi[9] as Raghav, Ram’s adoptive brother
Ananya Sharma[9] as Ram's adoptive sister
Rohini Reddy Noni
Gautham Raju
Ajay Ghosh as Biyyam Bhimarao
Krishnudu as Mall Malleshwarao
Raghu Karumanchi as a local goon
Naga Mahesh as Police SP
Hema
Gundu Sudarshan as a Yoga trainer
Srikanth Iyengar as a College Professor
Sekhar
Thotapalli Madhu
Duvvasi Mohan as Reporter
Kadambari Kiran as a police officer
Yashika Aannand
Mounika Reddy as Deepika’s friend
Gangavva as Villager
Mallika
Banerjee as Chief Secretary Mallikarjunarao
Sreedhar Reddy Nalla
Vadlamani Srinivas
DD Srinivas
Production
Development
The production of Indian 2 faced significant delays following an on-set accident,[10][11] compounded by the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India, which created uncertainty about the film's resumption.[12][13] During this time, director S. Shankar shifted his focus to other projects and began developing a script for a potential multi-starrer film intended for a multi-language release, with Yash considered for one of the leading roles.[14][15]

Shankar eventually collaborated with Dil Raju's Sri Venkateswara Creations,[16] which had initially planned to produce Indian 2 before stepping away, with Lyca Productions taking over.[17][18][19] On 12 February 2021, the production house officially announced the project, with Ram Charan confirmed as the lead.[20][21] The film was tentatively titled RC15 and SVC50, referencing Charan's 15th film as an actor and the production company's 50th project.[22][23] Although initial reports suggested it would be a historical action film, it was later clarified to be a political action drama.[24] The official title, Game Changer, was unveiled on 27 March 2023, coinciding with Charan's birthday.[25]

In December 2024, it was reported that the film was produced on a budget of ₹300–400 crore.[26] Ram Charan was paid ₹65 crore for his role, while Shankar adopted a revenue-sharing model, taking a smaller advance and opting to receive a substantial share of the film's profits as remuneration to support its production.[27]

Pre-production
"Just because these films deal with politics, people boil down the issues spoken about to just one word: corruption. But there are different facets to it; there are different kinds of governance, and in this film, we have tried to explore the powers and boundaries of an IAS officer [...] as a story evolves, it might shape up to carry a few resemblances to real life, but we didn’t design the character based on a single person."

— Shankar on developing the story of Game Changer[28]
Game Changer was initially developed as an interim project during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, along with the adaptation of Veera Yuga Nayagan Velpari (2019), based on the ruler of Parambu nādu Vēl Pāri, by author-politician S. Venkatesan, a spy thriller which demanded shooting in foreign locales and science fiction action film that needed a fresh face in the leading role and extensive visual effects. Due to the restrictions of film production in that period, he wanted something different that would be produced on a restricted budget and felt that the process of adapting another director's story that excited him.[28] He listened to the narration of numerous directors and finalized on the original story written by Karthik Subbaraj.[29]

Shankar also expressed his interest on doing a Telugu film, attributed to the success of the Telugu-dubbed versions of his films.[28] Speaking to Bhuvanesh Chandar of The Hindu, he added: "I approached it the usual way I do all my films. But because it’s my first straight Telugu film, and since the story demanded it, I had to inculcate Telugu culture, lifestyle and traditions."[28] Sai Madhav Burra contributed to the dialogues,[30] while lyricist Vivek and Farhad Samji did the same for its Tamil and Hindi versions.[31] Vivek and S. Venkatesan also contributed to the screenplay with Shankar.[32][33][34]

Initially, Anirudh Ravichander and Shankar's norm composer A. R. Rahman, were reported to score the music for the film,[35][36] but on Dil Raju's request, Thaman S was chosen to compose the film's music, in his first collaboration with the director.[37] Tirru was signed on as the cinematographer, also in his first time association with the director.[38] Editor Shameer Muhammed,[39] action choreography duo Anbariv and production designer Avinash Kolla were recruited as a part of the technical crew.[40] Dance choreographers of the film include Prabhu Deva, Jani Master, Prem Rakshith, Bosco Martis, Ganesh Acharya, and Sandy.[40]

Casting
Charan reportedly played dual role as a father and son.[41] Shankar complimented that Charan had a "suppressed explosive energy" within, further adding "His performance reflects this; even when he subtly conveys something, you feel a power surging, ready to explode. He knows where to keep it low-key and how to unleash this energy when the scenes require it from him."[28]

In late February, it was reported that South Korean actress Bae Suzy would play the female lead pairing opposite Charan, in her Indian film debut.[42] Afterwards, Rashmika Mandanna was considered to play the female lead,[43] before Kiara Advani was finalized for that role in July 2021;[44] this would mark her second collaboration with Charan after Vinaya Vidheya Rama (2019).[44] Anjali was cast in a pivotal role, while Sunil, Srikanth, Jayaram, and Naveen Chandra were all confirmed to be a part of the film during their presence at the puja ceremony.[45] S. J. Suryah was confirmed to be part of the film in September 2022, playing the antagonist.[46]

Filming
The film was formally launched with a muhurat shot on 8 September 2021 at Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad with a traditional pooja ceremony attended by Ranveer Singh, Chiranjeevi, and S. S. Rajamouli.[47][48] Principal photography began on 22 October 2021 and the first schedule was completed in the first week of November. Filming took place in Maharashtra at Pune, Satara and Phaltan.[49] Later that month, the second schedule began with a song shoot that was held for 10 days, at a specially erected set in Ramoji Film City.[50] The song, which also included international dancers, was choreographed by Jani Master.[50] The Times of India reported that nearly ₹23 crore (US$2.7 million) was spent on the song.[51] During the schedule, the team also shot a 7-minute action sequence.Anbariv and others were hired to design these action sequences in the film.[52]

The third schedule for the film commenced in February 2022.[53] Planned for about 20 days, the shoot took place in Andhra Pradesh at Rajahmundry, Kakinada, Kovvur and other nearby places of West Godavari and East Godavari districts.[54][55] Later the same month, it was reported that filming for Indian 2, also directed by Shankar, which the production was halted for two and a half years,[56] would take place after wrapping up the film shoot.[57] Charan took a break from filming to take part in the success celebrations of RRR and returned to filming in April.[58] He and Advani began a 20-day schedule at Amritsar in April, to film their college portions.[58][59] For undisclosed reasons, R. Rathnavelu joined the unit in Amritsar to complete the remaining portions in place of Tirru.[60] In May, the crew shot a schedule in Visakhapatnam.[61]

By July 2022, 60% of the filming was completed with Shankar intending to wrap up filming by December.[62][63] Earlier the same month, a massive song involving around 1000 dancers was shot in Punjab and Hyderabad.[62] After the song shoot, an action sequence involving 1200 fighters was planned.[63] In August, Shankar confirmed that he would be shooting both Game Changer and Indian 2, simultaneously.[64] The filming was planned to resume in early September in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam.[64] In November 2022, 10 days of a schedule was filmed in New Zealand, where the team picturized an expensive song across multiple exotic locations in the country.[63]

In February 2023, filming resumed with a few scenes shot at Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management, Visakhapatnam, followed by Simhachalam and Charminar.[65][66] A few pictures of scenes from the set were leaked online during the filming at the university.[67] In March 2023, a song involving 100 dancers, choreographed by Prabhu Deva, was shot.[68] In April 2023, Shankar revealed that he would be shooting the climactic scenes soon.[citation needed] On 26 April 2023, filming of the climactic scenes started under the supervision of Anbariv, in a special set in Shamshabad.[citation needed] Charan shot high combat scenes with 1200 fighters for the same.[69] On 9 May, filming of the climax was wrapped.[70] In July, an action sequence choreographed by Peter Hein was wrapped in Hyderabad.[71] Mysore schedule was started on 23 November,[72] and was wrapped early December.[73] In late December, a short schedule in Hyderabad, featuring Srikanth, Samuthirakani, S. J. Suryah, and others was wrapped up.[citation needed] The final schedule was completed in July 2024.[74] In December 2024, it was reported that the filming lasted for 240 days, in which Ram Charan's portion were reportedly short for 192 days.

Marketing
The film's first look and title was revealed on 27 March 2023, coinciding with Charan's birthday. The teaser of the film was released on 9 November 2024 in Lucknow.[75] The official trailer was released on 2 January 2025.[76]

Music
Main article: Game Changer (soundtrack)
The soundtrack is composed by Thaman S, in his first musical collaboration, along with his third overall collaboration, with Shankar, after making his acting debut in Boys (2003), and Eeram (2009), which was produced by Shankar.[77] It also marks the fourth time Shankar is working with another music composer besides his regular collaborator, A. R. Rahman.[78] The audio rights for the film were acquired by Saregama.[79]

The soundtrack featured seven songs, with lyrics written by Anantha Sriram, Ramajogayya Sastry, Kasarla Shyam and Roll Rida. Four of them—"Jaragandi",[80] "Raa Macha Macha"[81] "Naa Naa Hyraanaa"[82] and "Dhop"[83]—were released as singles, prior to the album's release on 4 January 2025.[84]

Release
Theatrical
Game Changer was theatrically released on 10 January 2025, coinciding with Sankranti weekend, in standard and IMAX, 4DX, Dolby Cinema, and Qube EPIQ formats.[85] Apart from the original Telugu language, it was also released in the Tamil and Hindi languages.[86] In the United Kingdom, as with the rest of the world, the film was initially released on the same day; however, in a version which was classified 12A by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) for moderate violence, threat, reference to suicide and sexual violence.[87]

Previously, the film was announced to release on Christmas 2024, but due to unfinished post-production work it was eventually postponed to the current date.[88][89]

Distribution
The Tamil dubbed version of the film is being distributed by Adityaram and T. Muruganantham, under SVC Adityaram Movies and Rockfort Entertainment.[90] Anil Thadani of AA Films acquired the distribution rights of the dubbed Hindi version for North India.[91]

Home media
The digital distribution rights of the film were acquired by Amazon Prime Video for ₹105 crore.[92]

Reception
Critical response
Rachit Gupta of Filmfare rated the film 3.5/5 and wrote, "In essence, Game Changer is an unmistakable Shankar creation fuelled and delivered with Ram Charan's charisma."[93] The Hans India also rated the film 3.5 out of 5, calling the performances of Ram Charan and Anjali as "powerhouse" and "strong impact" respectively, and noted, "Game Changer stands out as a solid political drama with exceptional performances, making it a must-watch".[94] Paul Nicodemus of The Times of India gave 3/5 stars and wrote, "Overall, Game Changer is a well-executed commercial film. Shankar's grand scale and Ram Charan's brilliant performance, combined with strong supporting roles and technical excellence, make it a compelling watch for enthusiasts of the genre". The critic also praised the performance of Anjali and S. J. Suryah.[95] Bollywood Hungama rated the film 3.0/5 and wrote, "Game Changer is yet another mass-appealing anti-corruption saga from Shankar that works due to the clapworthy moments, twists and turns, relatable goings-on and performances of Ram Charan and S. J. Suryah."[96]

Prathamesh Jadhav of The Free Press Journal rated Game Changer 3/5 stars, calling it a grand and entertaining political drama with standout performances from Ram Charan and Anjali.[97] Sashidhar Adivi of Times Now gave 3/5 s