After Leo, Rajinikanth starrer Thalaivar 171 to be next entry in Lokesh Kanagaraj's LCU?

As director Lokesh Kanagaraj awaits the theatrical release of arguably one of the biggest Tamil films of the year, Leo, he has alreayd commenced work on his next big banner cinematic offering - Thalaivar 171. While there has been enough speculations about which of Kanagaraj's future projects are part of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe, recent reports suggest one big release has made the cut while the other will be a standalone spectacle.

The Newsmakers

Thalapathy Vijay starrer Leo is slated for a release on October 19. It marks the actor's second collaboration with Kanagaraj after their 2021 hit Master. The film has been releasing posters which has given a glimpse into the world of Leo without revealing much.

The film also notably stars Sanjay Dutt and Trisha Krishnan with many speculating a special appearance from Fahadh Faasil. Thalaivar 171 on the other hand, Rajinikanth's 171st film, will be helmed by Kanagraj, who has already started work on the same. Reports have also been doing the rounds on the internet, that Thalaivar 171 will be the Superstar's last film, after which he will retire.

Who's saying what

As per a Pinkvilla report, Thalapathy Vijay's Leo is officially a part of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe. While there had been speculations regarding Thalaivar 171 being a part of the LCU, the same report also stated that Thalaivar 171, considering its scale, would be a standalone film, not a part of the LCU. There has been no confirmation on this, however, from official sources.

(The official poster for Leo | Image: IMDb)

The source-based report read, "The Cinematic Universe that Lokesh has created with his films Kaithi and Vikram witnessed a crossover of characters. Now, the third installment in the LCU is Leo and Lokesh along with Vijay is set to create one of the biggest cinematic moments in the history of Tamil cinema."

Meanwhile...

Suriya recently confirmed at an event that the character of Rolex from Vikram from 2022 Kamal Haasan starrer Vikram, will be getting his own spin-off. The actor had essayed the role, in a small but impactful cameo, in Vikram. No official confirmation about this, however, has come from the director himself.