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Jr NTR in War 2, a Tiger vs Pathaan movie. What's next for the YRF Spy Universe?

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Shaurya Thapa
Shaurya ThapaApr 06, 2023 | 16:41

Jr NTR in War 2, a Tiger vs Pathaan movie. What's next for the YRF Spy Universe?

NTR Jr joining War 2 can increase the YRF Spy Universe's pan-Indian appeal (photo-DailyO)

Following Pathaan’s record-breaking box office success and its OTT release on Prime Video, Yash Raj Films is gearing up for the future of its money-making machine, i.e., the YRF Spy Universe (that includes the Tiger franchise, War, and Pathaan so far). 

After Salman Khan’s Tiger and Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan crossed paths in Siddharth Anand’s Pathaan, the exiled R&AW agents are reported to face off against each other in a clash of the Titans tentatively titled “Tiger vs Pathaan”. 

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Meanwhile, RRR star Jr NTR is all set to increase his pan-India footprint as he is slated to star alongside Hrithik Roshan for War 2. Here’s everything we know about the new projects.

War 2 will feature Jr NTR with Hrithik 

The first War film ended with the reveal that Tiger Shroff’s Khalid is dead but Hrithik Roshan’s Kabir continues to take on undercover missions. Kabir’s superior Colonel Luthra (Ashutosh Rana) appeared in Pathaan, linking the two Spy Universe movies. Towards the final scenes of Pathaan, Luthra even hints at a larger threat in the future that will require many more agents. 

The hint towards a War sequel was more than obvious but in Tiger Shroff’s absence, fans still wondered who would join Hrithik’s Kabir (or even face off against him). Telugu star Jr NTR is confirmed to star in War 2 although the exact nature of his role is uncertain at the moment.

NTR Jr performing RRR's Naatu Naatu dance with Salman Khan. With his casting in War 2, it's highly possible that he will also star alongside Salman Khan or Shah Rukh Khan sometime in the future.
NTR Jr performing RRR's Naatu Naatu dance with Salman Khan. With his casting in War 2, it's highly possible that he will also star alongside Salman Khan or Shah Rukh Khan sometime in the future.

Even though an unnamed trade source told Variety that “Jr NTR is locking horns with Hrithik Roshan in War 2”, it is highly likely that their characters end up joining forces by the end of the film. Jr NTR, who is currently shooting for his 30th film (with “NTR 30” being the working title), has already proven his worth as an action co-lead, drawing praise for his (almost “homoerotic” as some would say) chemistry with Ram Charan in RRR

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This casting decision would only end up increasing the pan-Indian appeal of the Spy Universe.

With Pathaan itself being released in Tamil and Telugu alongside the Hindi versions, YRF supremo Aditya Chopra seems to be leaving no stone unturned for even the South Indian audiences to hop on the Spy Universe bandwagon. 

Who is directing War 2?

After directing the first War, Siddharth Anand moved on to cement his presence in the Spy Universe with Pathaan. Anand will however not return for War 2; and Brahmastra alumnus Ayan Mukerji will be replacing him. Mukerji, who debuted with Wake Up Sid and then collaborated with Ranbir Kapoor again for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, seems to have a lot of big-budget projects on his plate right now. 

While War 2’s release date is uncertain at the moment, we can expect a 2024 or 2025 release. As for Mukerji’s other cinematic universe “Astraverse” (that was kickstarted with last year’s Brahmastra Part One: Shiva), the director took to Instagram to reveal that he is simultaneously working on the two Brahmastra sequels. The second part (titled Dev) will be released in December 2026 while the third part (title not revealed yet) is looking for a December 2027 release window. 

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What’s the next Spy Universe film? 

With Pathaan dominating the first quarter of 2023, Salman Khan’s Tiger 3 is scheduled to be released on November 10, 2023 to coincide with the Diwali season. Regular YRF collaborator Maneesh Sharma (Band Baaja Baaraat, Ladies vs Ricky Bahl) will serve as director while Katrina Kaif’s Zoya Humaini and Ashutosh Rana’s Colonel Luthra will return. 

Emraan Hashmi is set to appear as the film’s chief villain. Following the overwhelming fan response to Salman’s appearance in Pathaan, Shah Rukh Khan will also return the Karan Arjun favour, as Pathaan in a cameo. 

Much like Pathaan, Tiger 3 will simultaneously release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. 

Tiger vs Pathaan: The next big thing in Spy Universe 

Captain America and Iron Man were at loggerheads with each other in Civil War. Batman and Superman exchanged punches in Dawn of Justice. Even King Kong and Godzilla had their own face-off in the very obviously-titled Godzilla vs Kong.

Now, following the same route, the Spy Universe is also looking to pit Pathaan and Tiger against each other in the upcoming 2024 project Tiger vs Pathaan

The film will be directed by War and Pathaan director Siddharth Anand.

Much like how many face-off blockbusters go, it is highly likely that the titular protagonists will go against each other for some misunderstanding only to clear it out by the second half and unite together against some other enemy. Audiences have witnessed the same formula in action in War and even RRR. Regardless of whether Tiger vs Pathaan will have any formulaic tropes or not, the collective star power of the two Khans might guarantee box-office success. 

Last updated: April 06, 2023 | 16:41
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