When Nithilan Saminathan’s Maharaja was released in 2024, the film received rave reviews and performed well at the box office. The Tamil film starring Vijay Sethupathi and Anurag Kashyap in the lead roles will now become the first one to get a Hollywood remake. This comes after days of rumours that Matthew McConaughey would star in it.
The neo-noir film Maharaja is directed by Nithilan Saminathan and produced by The Route, Think Studios and Passion Studios. It stars Sethupathi, Anurag, Sachana Namidass, Natty Subramaniam, Mamta Mohandas and others. It’s only later that the police realise that he’s approaching them over something far more serious.
The film, released in June 2024, tells the story of a father who files a complaint at the police station about a stolen dustbin named Lakshmi.
Maharaja 1st Tamil film to get Hollywood remake
One of the film’s producers, Sudhan Sundaram, told TOI that Maharaja’s ₹ 91 crore success in China prompted an agency to approach them for remake rights. Maharaja brought in ₹ 72.43 crore net in India and grossed ₹ 199.20 crore worldwide, according to the trade website Sacnilk. It became one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of 2024.
Fans were thrilled to see a Tamil film receive global interest. Several others wondered if a sequel is on the cards for Maharaja. This week, several social media pages have cited sources and claimed that Matthew McConaughey will star in the Hollywood remake of Maharaja. He also mentioned that an A-list star is lined up for the remake, which will go on floors by next year. Maharaja received critical acclaim, with many praising Sethupathi and Anurag’s performances, as well as the film’s storyline. It is available to stream on Netflix. Aamir Khan has reportedly secured the rights for a Hindi remake of the film. Further details of both remakes are awaited.
“A HISTORIC MILESTONE! #Maharaja becomes the first Tamil film to be made in Hollywood by a major studio,” they wrote, making the news official. “Proud moment of entire team especially director @dir_nithilan Sir and actor @actorvijaysethupathi proud, kollywood forever,” read one comment under the post. “Only because of director, this milestone happens,” claimed another. When asked about Matthew, he told the publication, “Maybe McConaughey is one of the stars they are talking to, but only the agency will be able to confirm.
On Wednesday, the producers of Maharaja confirmed the Hollywood remake on their social media.
