Beyond Kaithi 2 and Vikram 2: Lokesh Kanagaraj set to expand LCU with new short stories

Filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj has built one of the most sought-after IPs in modern Indian cinema: the LUC, short for Lokesh Kanagaraj's Cinematic Universe. Recently, Lokesh outlined his vision for the LUC and how he plans to conclude the storylines he began with his 2017 blockbuster Kaithi and continued in 2022 with Vikram.

Lokesh revealed that he plans to wrap up the sagas of spies and ruthless drug lords in the next three films. After he finishes filming Coolie, he will start working on Kaithi 2 and then develop a standalone film for the character Rolex, made popular by Suriya's performance in Vikram. Finally, Lokesh plans to bring it all together in Vikram 2, uniting major stars like Kamal Haasan, Suriya, and Karthi. He also noted that if Thalapathy Vijay hadn’t retired to focus on his political career, Leo 2 would have been in the pipeline. Will Vijay make an appearance in the final LUC instalment? For now, it remains uncertain.

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Beyond these feature films, Lokesh has bigger plans to expand the LUC, tapping into its massive popularity among Tamil cinema audiences. Last month, he announced a short film titled Chapter Zero , which will serve as the origin story for the LUC, establishing the start of its timeline. Popular YouTuber and actor Abishek Raaja, reportedly playing a key role in Chapter Zero, recently revealed that this short is only one of many planned expansions for Lokesh's cinematic universe.

Where these LUC-connected short films will be released remains unclear. Will they appear in theatres, on YouTube, or through partnerships with premium streaming platforms? Audiences will have to wait and see.

Lokesh also announced Benz, which will add a new character to the universe. The film will star Raghava Lawrence as a vigilante and will be helmed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan. Besides writing the movie's screenplay, Lokesh is bankrolling it under his own banner, G Squad. 

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