Ahead of Mohanlal’s directorial release of Barroz, OTT giants Reliance and Disney’s merger likely to impact actor’s film. Here’s how.
Mohanlal’s much-anticipated directorial debut, “Barroz,” scheduled for a 2024 release, might face new challenges because of the merger between Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema. Despite the excitement surrounding a recent closed screening and final mix, concerns about the film’s Christmas 2024 release persist, as the ongoing Reliance-Disney merger could lead to delays.
For those unfamiliar, the creators of Mohanlal’s 3D children’s film “Barroz” were counting on Disney for its global distribution. According to a trusted insider from the production team, discussions were also well underway for Disney+ to acquire the film’s OTT rights.
A report from OTT play revealed, “The merger has complicated things,” the insider reveals. “We had presented the film to Disney’s decision-makers, and they were genuinely pleased with what they saw. However, the final choice to acquire the rights or handle distribution is no longer solely in their hands.
Will the merger delay the release of “Barroz,” which is aimed for December 19? “It’s difficult to say,” the insider shares. “The original plan was for Disney+ Hotstar to buy the OTT rights, while Disney+ would showcase the film internationally in various languages. Now, those rights will need to be renegotiated, and the producers will seek the best offer.”
However, the source confirms that the team has exciting plans leading up to the release. “There will be special previews in Kochi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. This big-budget film will have strong promotions, and in addition to the 3D version, ‘Barroz’ will also be released in IMAX,” they note.
Over the past year, Mohanlal has been actively working on the post-production of “Barroz,” which stars Maya as the lead character Isabelle, along with Guru Somasundaram and Thuhin Menon. Filming started in March 2021 but was delayed due to scheduling conflicts with Mohanlal’s other projects and creative issues with scriptwriter Jijo Punnoose. The team resumed shooting in November 2021 and wrapped up by mid-2022.
