After conquering the box office with KGF Chapter 2 and Salaar Part 1: Ceasefire, director Prashanth Neel is now pouring his energy into what’s being described as his most ambitious venture to date.
Teaming up with Jr NTR, the yet-to-be-titled film — dubbed NTR Neel by fans — is already being talked about as a game-changer for Telugu cinema.
According to a social media post by C for Cinema, the film will dwarf even Neel’s earlier blockbusters. A major international schedule is set to begin in October 2025, with large chunks of the story to be filmed overseas. Much like Neel created distinctive universes with KGF and Salaar, insiders say he is now building another grand world for this story.
Jr NTR is expected to shoot on the project well into early 2026, with the film confirmed for a 25 June 2026 release. Speculation had earlier floated the title Dragon, but the makers have yet to reveal anything officially.
A source close to the film told Hindustan Times: “Prashanth Neel’s next with Jr NTR is his most ambitious and biggest project yet; even bigger than his pan-India blockbusters like KGF and Salaar. This is a film he has dreamt of making from the very beginning.”
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The source added: “He feels that now is the right time, as he no longer has budget constraints and has also managed to bring on board his favourite actor, Jr NTR, to play the lead. Prashanth Neel is extremely happy with how the film is shaping up and says it is progressing beyond what he had even imagined.”
The project was first announced on NTR’s birthday in 2022 and went on floors earlier this year. While a first-look reveal had been planned for the actor’s birthday in May 2025, it was postponed to avoid clashing with promotions for his Bollywood debut, War 2, where he shared the screen with Hrithik Roshan.
Once this film wraps, Jr NTR is expected to jump into another action thriller with director Nelson.
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