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Allu Arjun's AA23 With Lokesh Kanagaraj Shelved? Here Is What We Know

By Sunit Jangir
June 3, 2026 at 5:21 PM IST
240
2 min read
Allu Arjun's AA23 With Lokesh Kanagaraj Shelved? Here Is What We Know

Hyderabad, June 3 - Rumours have been circulating on social media suggesting that Allu Arjun's highly anticipated collaboration with director Lokesh Kanagaraj, tentatively called AA23, may have been shelved. However, the latest developments indicate that the project remains very much on track.

The film was officially announced on January 14, 2026, by Mythri Movie Makers, marking the first-ever collaboration between Allu Arjun and Lokesh Kanagaraj. The announcement video generated massive excitement among fans, and it was confirmed that the project would begin production in 2026.

In April 2026, updates revealed that script work for the project was actively underway, with the makers focusing on developing the screenplay before moving into full-scale production. Reports also suggested that shooting was planned to commence during 2026 after the completion of pre-production activities.

The speculation regarding the project cancellation appears to stem from the lengthy pre-production process and the busy schedules of both Allu Arjun and Lokesh Kanagaraj. According to the Tamil industry tracker, Ramesh Bala, all the rumours surrounding the project being shelved are completely baseless. The film is very much on track and progressing exactly as planned.

At present, there is no official statement from the actor, director, or production house suggesting that AA23 has been shelved. On the contrary, the most recent reports indicate that the film remains in development, with scripting and pre-production continuing ahead of its planned shoot. Given the scale of the collaboration and the expectations surrounding the project, fans may have to wait longer than expected.

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Tollywood Allu Arjun Lokesh Kanagaraj
Published on June 3, 2026 at 11:51 AM

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Allu Arjun's AA23 With Lokesh Kanagaraj Shelved? Here Is What We Know Tollywood
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Hyderabad, June 3 - Rumours have been circulating on social media suggesting that Allu Arjun's highly anticipated collaboration with director Lokesh Kanagaraj, tentatively called AA23, may have been shelved. However, the latest developments indicate that the project remains very much on track. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The film was officially announced on January 14, 2026, by Mythri Movie Makers, marking the first-ever collaboration between Allu Arjun and Lokesh Kanagaraj. The announcement video generated massive excitement among fans, and it was confirmed that the project would begin production in 2026. In April 2026, updates revealed that script work for the project was actively underway, with the makers focusing on developing the screenplay before moving into full-scale production. Reports also suggested that shooting was planned to commence during 2026 after the completion of pre-production activities. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The speculation regarding the project cancellation appears to stem from the lengthy pre-production process and the busy schedules of both Allu Arjun and Lokesh Kanagaraj. According to the Tamil industry tracker, Ramesh Bala, all the rumours surrounding the project being shelved are completely baseless. The film is very much on track and progressing exactly as planned. At present, there is no official statement from the actor, director, or production house suggesting that AA23 has been shelved. On the contrary, the most recent reports indicate that the film remains in development, with scripting and pre-production continuing ahead of its planned shoot. Given the scale of the collaboration and the expectations surrounding the project, fans may have to wait longer than expected.

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Hyderabad, May 20 - It has already been some years since director Prashanth Neel announced his maiden film with superstar Jr. NTR. The film has been in the making since last year and is easily one of the most anticipated Indian films at the moment. The recently released teaser of the film has taken the buzz to another level while leaving fans wanting more. While the film still has over a year for its release, the maverick director has made some explosive revelations about Jr. NTR's character in the film and the movie's unexpected genre direction. Ever since the title glimpse was unveiled, many assumed Dragon would be a high-scale period action drama in the style of Neel's previous mass entertainers. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) However, the director has now clarified that the teaser only represents the "setting" of the film and not its actual thematic core. Speaking about Jr. NTR's role, Prashanth Neel made a shocking statement. "It's a dark character, and the darkest character I have ever written". "It took me three years to write this. I have taken it very seriously. We have cast the most expensive villain in the history of Indian cinema (referring to Luger aka Dragon aka Jr. NTR). That's how we're looking at it. He (NTR) knows the character he is playing, and we did not want to hide the fact", he said. The statement has immediately sparked massive online chatter, especially because Jr. NTR is reportedly not playing a conventional heroic role. Neel's films always have an anti-hero at their core, but Jr. NTR seems to be playing a pure villain role, a completely new territory for the RRR star. Enter INSIDE THE WORLD OF #Dragon as #PrashanthNeel takes you through the madness behind it.▶️ https://t.co/elqqIM9hyU Don’t miss the conversation!Man of Masses @tarak9999 @AnilKapoor @rukminitweets #BijuMenon @ravibasrur @bhuvangowda84 #Venkatachalapathi @peterheinoffl… pic.twitter.com/N78m1BMAfK— Mythri Movie Makers (@MythriOfficial) May 20, 2026 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) However, the biggest surprise came when Prashanth Neel addressed the film's genre and emotional foundation. While audiences expected a brutal period action spectacle, the director hinted at something entirely different. "The Teaser is just a setting... We probably will end up making one of the most patriotic movies ever seen!" Produced by Mythri Movie Makers in association with NTR Arts and T-Series, Dragon is being made on a massive scale with intense world-building. The film also stars Anil Kapoor, Biju Menon, Rukmini Vasanth, Khushbu Sundar, Ashutosh Rana, and Sidhant Gupta in key roles alongside Guru Somasundaram, Rajeev Kanakala, Anshuman Pushkar, Prabhas Srinu, Shatru, Shiva, Bhimal Jeet Oberoi, Ntuthuzelo Prince Grootboom, Aleksandr Mizev, and Benedict Paul Garrett. It is scheduled to release on June 11, 2027.

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Prashanth Neel Seemingly Confirms KGF: Chapter 3 and Salaar 2 Are No Longer In The Making

BY SACNILK

Hyderabad, May 20 - Director Prashanth Neel has sparked fresh speculation around the future of the blockbuster KGF and Salaar franchise after his latest comments during promotions for his next period action drama Dragon starring superstar Jr. NTR. In a recent interview with Baradwaj Rangan, Prashanth Neel stated that Dragon would be his final film in the hyper-stylised post-apocalyptic noir mass space - a genre template that heavily defines both the KGF films and Salaar. The statement has now led many fans to believe that Yash-fronted K.G.F: Chapter 3, as well as Prabhas' Salaar 2, may no longer be part of the filmmaker's plans. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The development comes as a major surprise, considering Neel and Yash had previously teased the continuation of the KGF universe multiple times after the historic success of K.G.F: Chapter 2. Earlier reports had even suggested that Chapter 3 would begin production after both Neel and Yash completed their existing commitments. Neel is currently occupied with Dragon, which has consumed a lot of his time, while Yash is focused on Toxic and Ramayana. With both the actor and director committed to multiple large-scale projects for the next few years, the possibility of KGF Chapter 3 happening anytime was already looking unlikely, and now, after Neel's comments, both the films have seemingly been scrapped.