| Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Rojin Thomas |
| Written by | R. Ramanand |
| Produced by | Gokulam Gopalan |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Neil D'Cunha |
| Edited by | Rojin Thomas |
| Music by | Rahul Subramanian |
| Production company | Sree Gokulam Movies |
| Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Budget | ₹80 crore |
Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer is an upcoming Indian Malayalam-language fantasy thriller film directed and edited by Rojin Thomas and written by R. Ramanand. It is the first of two cinematic parts. The story traces the life of Kadamattathu Kathanar, a legendary 9th-century Christian priest endowed with magical powers. The film stars Jayasurya in the titular role, along with Anushka Shetty (in her Mollywood debut), Prabhu Deva and Vineeth. It is produced by Gokulam Gopalan of Sree Gokulam Movies.
Principal photography began in April 2023. The film is shot using the virtual production technology in a custom-built studio.
Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer is planned to be released in 2025.
Cast
- Jayasurya as Kadamattathu Kathanar
- Anushka Shetty as Kalliyankattu Neeli
- Prabhu Deva
- Vineeth
- Sandy
- Nitish Bharadwaj
- Kulpreet Yadav
Production
Development
The film is based on the story of legendary 9th-century Christian priest Kadamattathu Kathanar. The film was initially planned to be produced by Vijay Babu of Friday Film House, with whom Rojin Thomas had previously collaborated in two films. However, in March 2020, it was announced that the project has been taken over by Gokulam Gopalan of Sree Gokulam Movies. It was also reported that the film would be released in two parts and is mounted on a budget of ₹100 crore. According to Rojin, the film falls under "period fantasy thriller" genre.
Filming
Principal photography began on 5 April 2023 in Cochin. It was held at a custom-built studio spanning 45,000 square feet (4,200 m), utilizing virtual production technology. The first schedule was completed on 2 June 2023 after 43 days. Around 570 personnel worked in various departments.
Release
The first part of Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer is scheduled to be released in 2025. Alongside the original Malayalam version, the makers are planning to release the film in multiple dubbed languages, including English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Chinese, French, Korean, Italian, Russian, Indonesian, and Japanese.
References
- "Kathanar: Pre-production of Jayasurya and Rojin Thomas' Rs 80 Cr, 3D fantasy film begins".
- "INTERVIEW: 'I've never aspired to become a superstar,' says Malayalam star Vineeth". The New Indian Express. 13 August 2023. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- Morbid, Mr (6 May 2023). "Kadamattathu Kathanar, the True Story Behind the Sorcerer Priest of Kerala - Morbid Kuriosity". Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- The Hindu Net Desk (10 March 2020). "Jayasurya's magnum opus 'Kathanar The Wild Sorcerer' taken over by Gokulam Films". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- "Rojin Thomas on 'Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer': It is a film that promises to transport audiences to otherworldly dimensions". The Times of India. 6 April 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- "മലയാള സിനിമയുടെ അദ്ഭുതമാകാൻ 'കത്തനാർ'; ചിത്രീകരണത്തിനു തുടക്കം". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- "Kathanar team completes first schedule". Cinema Express. 2 June 2023. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- "Kathanar The Wild Sorcerer first look: Jayasurya looks gothic in Raji Thomas' intriguing fantasy drama. Watch". The Indian Express. 31 August 2023. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- "'ഹോളിവുഡ് ലെവൽ'; ജയസൂര്യയ്ക്കൊപ്പം അനുഷ്ക ഷെട്ടി; 'കത്തനാർ' ഗ്ലിംപ്സ്". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.