Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer
Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer is an upcoming Indian Malayalam-language period 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 title role, along with Anushka Shetty (in her Malayalam debut) as Kalliyankattu Neeli. It is produced by Gokulam Gopalan of Sree Gokulam Movies.
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 Unni |
Production company | Sree Gokulam Movies |
Distributed by | Sree Gokulam Movies |
Release date | 2024 |
Country | India |
Language | Malayalam |
Principal photography began in April 2023. The film is shot using the virtual production technology in a custom-built studio. The first part of Kathanar — The Wild Sorcerer is planned to be released in 2024.
Cast
Production
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 ₹75 crore.[2] According to Rojin, the film falls under "period fantasy thriller" genre.[3]
Principal photography began on 5 April 2023 in Kochi.[4] It was held at a custom-built studio spanning 45,000 square feet, utilizing the virtual production technology.[3] The first schedule was completed on 2 June 2023 after 43 days. Around 570 personnel worked in various departments.[5]
Release
The first part of Kathanar — The Wild Sorcerer is scheduled to be released in 2024. Alongside the original Malayalam version, the makers are planning to release the film in multiple dubbed languages, including English, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Chinese, French, Korean, Italian, Russian, Indonesian, and Japanese.[6][7]
References
- "INTERVIEW: 'I've never aspired to become a superstar,' says Malayalam star Vineeth". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- Desk, The Hindu Net (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". The New Indian Express. 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.