Leo (2023 Indian film)
Leo | |
---|---|
Directed by | Lokesh Kanagaraj |
Written by |
|
Based on | A History of Violence by David Cronenberg[1] |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Cinematography | Manoj Paramahamsa |
Edited by | Philomin Raj |
Music by | Anirudh Ravichander |
Production company | |
Distributed by | see below |
Release date |
|
Running time | 164 minutes[2] |
Country | India |
Language | Tamil |
Budget | ₹250–300 crore[3][4] |
Box office | est. ₹595–620.50 crore[5][6] |
Leo (also marketed as Leo: Bloody Sweet) is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film[7] directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Seven Screen Studio. The film stars Vijay in the titular role, alongside Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Sarja, Trisha, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mysskin, Madonna Sebastian, George Maryan, Mansoor Ali Khan, Priya Anand and Mathew Thomas. It is the third instalment in the Lokesh Cinematic Universe and is partially inspired by A History of Violence. The film follows Parthi, a café owner and animal rescuer in Theog, who is pursued by gangsters Antony and Harold Das who suspect him to be Antony's estranged son, Leo.
The film was officially announced in January 2023 under the tentative title Thalapathy 67, as it is Vijay's 67th film as a lead actor, and the official title was announced a few days later. Principal photography commenced the same month in Chennai along with a sporadic schedule in Kashmir, which was again followed by another schedule held at the former location, and wrapped by mid-July. The film has music composed by Anirudh Ravichander, cinematography handled by Manoj Paramahamsa and editing by Philomin Raj.
Leo was released worldwide on 19 October 2023 in standard and IMAX formats to mixed reviews from critics, with praise for Vijay's performance, technical aspects and the action sequences while the writing received criticism. It set several box office records for a Tamil film, emerging as the second highest-grossing Tamil film of 2023,[5][8][9][10] the seventh highest-grossing Indian film of 2023, third highest-grossing Tamil film of all time, the highest-grossing Tamil film overseas and the highest-grossing film in Tamil Nadu.[11]
Plot
This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (September 2024) |
Parthiban "Parthi" is an animal rescuer and café owner in Theog, living with his wife Sathya, son Siddhu and daughter Mathi "Chintu". One day, Parthi's friend, Joshy Andrews, a forest ranger, calls him to help tame a spotted hyena threatening the townsfolk. With Siddhu's help, Parthi manages to tranquilise the hyena. He purposely avoids public attention over this incident and adopts the hyena after it calms down.
One night, Parthi and Chintu are at the café when Shanmugham, a robber, and his men arrive to rob it. Parthi tries to appease them by giving them money, but one of the gang members makes a move on his employee Shruthi. Enraged, Parthi beats up all of them. When one of them attempts to kill Chintu, Parthi guns all of them down without hesitation, but later has an emotional breakdown. Initially arrested, Parthi is released for having committed the kills in self-defense.
Parthi starts living a quarantined life, feeling wary of any potential attack on his family. After Priya persuades him to move on, he decides to go out with his family to the nearby market. Some relatives of Shanmugham arrive and attack Parthi, who beat them up with an intention to kill them. This incident prompts him to request a high-ranking police officer from Tamil Nadu to be sent to his house for protection. Parthi's request is granted as Napoleon, having been promoted following his heroics in Tiruchirappalli[a].
Parthi's photograph appears in newspapers all over India because of his killing of those wanted criminals. One such image is seen by Harold Das, a gangster in Telangana, who informs his elder brother Antony Das about him. Antony immediately leaves with his men for Theog. On meeting Parthi, Antony insists that Parthi is his son, Leo Das, who was presumed to be dead, but Parthi vehemently denies this. Antony threatens him to accept his identity and surrender or face the consequences.
In 1999, Antony established a tobacco factory called Das & Co. Harold returned to India from Canada and started manufacturing and smuggling a drug named datura, using the factory as a front as their tobacco products did not take off. Antony's twin children, Leo and Elisa Das, did the dirty work for them to run the business smoothly. Being a strong believer in the occult, Antony tried to sacrifice Elisa based on his astrologer's advice, as this would have allowed their tobacco products to take off. Enraged, Leo set fire to all of Harold's drugs, but Harold managed to kill Elisa and Antony shot Leo, who was since presumed dead.
After listening to Hridayaraj D'Souza, who adopted Leo, Joshy is convinced that Parthi is not Leo, while Sathya also gets definitive proof of the same. Meanwhile, Antony kidnaps Siddhu and tells him that he will sacrifice Siddhu as he could not sacrifice Elisa on his own. Parthi and Napoleon chase to Antony and his men, and Parthi eventually catches up with them. He finishes off Antony and his men but does not find Siddhu. Harold learns about Antony's death and calls Parthi to bring Antony's body in return for Siddhu.
As Parthi goes to Harold's lair, Harold reveals that he has sent men to kill Sathya and Chintu. However, Napoleon, Joshy, and the hyena finish off all the men. Harold's men attack Parthi at their lair, but he manages to fend them off. As Harold and Parthi engage in a fistfight, Parthi grabs a gun and holds Harold at gunpoint. As an attempt to save himself, Harold accepts that he is not Leo. However, Parthi starts laughing unexpectedly and finally admits he is Leo before gunning down Harold, rescuing Siddhu and torching the entire Das & Co. factory. Leo states that he has done nothing good in the past and anyone who insists on knowing his true identity must either die or already be dead. A flashback reveals he admitted his true identity to Antony before killing him.
In an epilogue, as peace returns to Parthi's life, he gets a phone call. The caller reveals that he knows Parthi is Leo and tells him that destroying only his family's datura factory was not enough to make the society drug-free as drugs are rampant all over India. The caller also says that he knows Parthi recognises his identity,[b] as Parthi sighs in exasperation.
Cast
- Vijay as Parthiban "Parthi" / Leo Das
- Sanjay Dutt as Antony Das (Voice dubbed by Pudipeddi Ravi Shankar)
- Arjun Sarja as Harold Das
- Trisha as Sathya Parthiban (Voice dubbed by Chinmayi)
- Gautham Vasudev Menon as Joshy Andrews
- George Maryan as Napoleon
- Mysskin as Shanmugam
- Madonna Sebastian as Elisa Das
- Mansoor Ali Khan as Hridayaraj D'Souza
- Sandy as a robber in Shanmugam's gang
- Priya Anand as Priya Joshy Andrews
- Mathew Thomas as Siddharth Parthiban "Siddhu"
- Babu Antony as Shekhar, Antony's henchman
- Janany Kunaseelan as Shruthi
- Iyal as Mathi Parthiban "Chintu"
- Mukhtar Khan as Bhawar Jetha, a police officer
- Ramakrishnan as Gabby, Leo's friend
- Denzil Smith as a Judge
- Dinesh Master as Dinesh
- Madhusudhan Rao as Shanmugam's brother-in-law
- Vaiyapuri as an astrologer
- Punya Elizabeth as Sathya's friend
- Thavasi as Harold's henchman
- Jawahar as Veterinary Doctor
- Maneksha as Jailer
- Sachin Mani as Shruthi's husband
- Shanthi as Shanmugam's wife
- Santhi Mayadevi as Parthiban's advocate
- Muthu Krishnan as Press Cameraman
- Pooja Fiya as Press Reporter
- Leela Samson as a public prosecutor
- Dinesh Lamba as the Divisional Forest Officer
- Anurag Kashyap as Daniel (cameo appearance)
- Maya S. Krishnan as Vikram's aide (cameo appearance)
- Kamal Haasan as Vikram (voice only)
Production
Development
After the success of Master in early 2021, it was reported that Lokesh Kanagaraj visited Vijay at his residence and narrated a script which impressed him. The project was supposed to be the actor's 66th film as a leading actor; however, that position instead went to Varisu (2023).[12] Reports of a potential collaboration between Lokesh and Vijay continued through February 2022.[13][14] The following March, Lokesh confirmed there were discussions for him to direct Vijay's 67th film.[15] That May, he confirmed the project, tentatively titled Thalapathy 67.[16] The project was funded by S. S. Lalit Kumar's Seven Screen Studio, which had distributed and co-produced Master.[17] Vijay's manager, Jagadish Palanisamy, served as a co-producer. The company made a public announcement on 30 January 2023, confirming the project,[18] and the film's official title Leo was revealed on 3 February 2023.[19]
The film was made on a budget of ₹250–300 crore, and Vijay was reported to receive ₹120 crore (US$14 million) as his remuneration.[4] However, he reportedly decided to take the revenue sharing model, to benefit the film's production; as per the basis, he would receive ₹50 crore (US$6.0 million) as an advance, and a chunk of the profits would be received as the actor's remuneration.[20] Vijay was not in favour of making Leo a pan-Indian film, as he wanted to focus on satisfying the Tamil audience. The actor, however, changed his mind after Lalit and Jagadish convinced him. Some changes were also made to the original story to help the film cater to a wider audience.[21][22] In August 2023, the film was reported to be a part of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), as the makers had signed a no-objection certificate with Dream Warrior Pictures and Raaj Kamal Films International, the producers of the LCU's previous instalments Kaithi (2019) and Vikram (2022) respectively.[23] The film's status in the LCU was not confirmed until its release.[24]
Pre-production
It took Lokesh nearly six months for the writing and pre-production.[25] Lokesh co-wrote the film's script along with Rathna Kumar, in his third consecutive collaboration with the director,[26] and Deeraj Vaidy, director of Jil Jung Juk (2016). Both of them joined the writing team in mid August 2022.[27] Lokesh said the film would be completely made in his style, unlike Master which he considered a 50% Vijay film and 50% his film.[25] A muhurat puja was held on 5 December 2022 at AVM Studios in Chennai with the film's cast and crew.[28] On 7 December, the team shot the promotional video for the film for nearly three days.[29]
In mid-January 2023, Manoj Paramahamsa was announced as cinematographer, marking his first collaboration with Lokesh and third with Vijay after Nanban (2012) and Beast (2022).[30] Anirudh Ravichander would score the music, in his third consecutive film with the director.[31] Lokesh further retained most of his norm technicians including editor Philomin Raj, stunt choreography duo Anbariv, dance choreographer Dinesh Kumar and art director N. Sathees Kumar.[32] Praveen Raja would style the costumes for Vijay, along with his regular costume designers Pallavi Singh and Eka Lakhani.[33] Ramkumar Balasubramanian was appointed as executive producer of the film by the production house.[34]
Casting
Vijay would sport a grey-shaded hairstyle for his character, which was finalised after 30 different looks.[35][36] Trisha was cast as the female lead,[37] pairing opposite Vijay for the fifth time after Ghilli (2004), Thirupaachi (2005), Aathi (2006) and Kuruvi (2008).[38][39] Sanjay Dutt was confirmed to play one of the main antagonists, in his Tamil film debut and second South Indian film after KGF: Chapter 2 (2022).[40] Dutt agreed to be a part of the project, after being impressed by the one-line narrated for the film.[41] Priya Anand also joined the film in an important role,[42] while Arjun was also cast in an important role.[43] He called it a "different" and "fresh" one that would justify his title "Action King".[44] Lokesh initially wanted Prithviraj Sukumaran to play this role as he was impressed with the actor's performance in Mumbai Police, Ayyappanum Koshiyum and Lucifer, but he declined due to scheduling conflicts.[45]
Madonna Sebastian,[46] Mysskin,[47] Sandy Master,[48] Gautham Vasudev Menon,[49] and Mansoor Ali Khan would play prominent roles.[50] Mathew Thomas, would also make his Tamil debut with the film.[51] All of their inclusion were confirmed by the production house in late-January 2023.[52] Manobala and Janany Kunaseelan were present at the film's preliminary shooting, confirming their presence in the film;[53][54] the latter would make her acting debut in a feature with this film.[53] George Maryan was also featured in the muhurat puja, thereby confirming his inclusion.[55] Abhirami Venkatachalam and Babu Antony were also confirmed after participating in the film's Jammu and Kashmir schedule.[56][57] Manobala died on 3 May 2023 without having shot any scenes.[58] George Maryan reprises his role from Kaithi, while Maya S. Krishnan and Kamal Haasan briefly reprise their roles from Vikram, the latter has a voice only role.[59]
Filming
Principal photography began with the first schedule on 2 January 2023 at EVP Film City in Chennai.[60] Minor portions of the film were held at Kodaikanal in the last week of January and Mysskin shot for some of his portions there as he could not allocate dates to travel to Jammu and Kashmir, where the subsequent schedule would take place.[61] The second schedule commenced in Kashmir on 1 February.[62] During this schedule, footage of Vijay was leaked and went viral,[63] prompting the film's official technology security partner to warn people against sharing leaked content or they would be deleted.[64] Furthermore, most of the cast and crew members were prohibited from using mobile phones on the sets, to prevent leakage of stills and videos from the shoot.[65] On 27 February, Mysskin tweeted that he had completed filming his portions for the film, which included an intense stunt sequence.[66] In early March, Menon announced that he had completed filming for the film.[67]
Manoj Paramahamsa brought an IMAX-certified RED V-Raptor 8K camera to shoot significant portions, a first for a Tamil film.[68] On 11 March, Dutt started filming for his portions in the Kashmir schedule,[35] and completed them within six days.[69] Filming was halted on 21 March due to a minor earthquake in the location,[70] but resumed soon after. Vijay shot a fight scene with only a simple, thin shirt and had to roll on ice, despite the temperature being −20 °C (−4 °F). A sequence involving him shirtless was also filmed.[71] The Kashmir schedule ended on 23 March.[72] The studio shared a behind-the-scenes video of the Jammu and Kashmir schedule that day as a tribute to the crew of Leo, who worked behind-the-scenes in −5 – −6 °C (23–21 °F). The director thanked each and every person from the crew for making the Jammu and Kashmir schedule happen.[72] The team shot at Dal Lake, Hazratbal Shrine, Sonamarg, Pahalgam and Srinagar in this schedule.[73]
The third schedule was intended to begin on 29 March at Chennai,[74] but commenced on 5 April. A set was erected for this schedule which led to the postponement. Vijay, along with Dutt, Trisha, Arjun and Priya Anand joined the concurrent schedule,[75] which was reported to go on for 17 days.[76] Some action scenes were shot with a Mocobot camera.[77] Trisha, Dutt and Arjun would begin filming from May.[78] Lokesh also planned to shoot the introductory song sequence featuring at least 2000 background artists.[79] The song was shot in early June in Chennai with 500 background artists.[80] The makers spent ₹7 crore (US$840,000) for shooting the song for 7 days.[81] Paramahamsa purchased a Komodo-X camera to shoot the action sequences in high resolution, thus becoming the first Indian film to be shot using this camera.[82] In late-June, production moved to Talakona.[83] The final schedule was shot in Hyderabad and the climax portion in Ramoji Film City.[84] Vijay had completed shooting for his portions by 10 July.[85] Principal photography wrapped by 14 July, with filming having lasted 125 working days.[86] A month later, the team returned to Jammu and Kashmir for patchwork filming.[87]
Post-production
In February 2023, The Times of India reported that the film would be having an "extended post-production time" due to Lokesh not wanting to compromise on the CGI.[88] Monesh H. and V. Srinivas Mohan are the visual effects supervisors, along with the Moving Picture Company, Al Zhara VFX and SkyHigh VFX, the film's principal visual effects studios.[89] The film's digital intermediate and colour grading works began in late August 2023.[90] Chinmayi Sripaada dubbed for Trisha for the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada versions of the film.[91] The hyena featured in the film was created through visual effects, and the action sequence featuring the hyena cost ₹15 crore (US$1.8 million).[92]
Music
The soundtrack is composed by Anirudh Ravichander, in his fourth collaboration with Vijay after Kaththi (2014), Master (2021), and Beast (2022); and third collaboration with Lokesh after Master and Vikram.[32] The music rights were purchased by Sony Music India for ₹16 crore (US$1.9 million).[93] The audio launch was to be held on 30 September 2023 at the Nehru Stadium, but was later cancelled on 27 September 2023 due to incessant requests for passes in addition to safety constraints.[94] "Naa Ready" emerged Spotify's most-streamed Tamil track of 2023, as per Spotify Wrapped 2023.[95]
Marketing
On 16 September 2023, at the 11th South Indian International Movie Awards, Lokesh announced that updates for the film would be released from the following day.[96]
The film's teaser trailer was released on 3 February 2023, revealing the film's title.[97] The first look poster was released on 22 June, and became the most liked first look for an Indian movie in 24 hours on Twitter.[98] The Telugu poster which released on 17 September, became the fastest poster of an Indian film to reach 1 million likes on Instagram in 32 minutes.[99] The film's trailer, gained 1 million likes in 21 minutes, 2 million likes in 7 hours, and over 3.7 million likes in 24 hours, becoming the fastest film trailer to achieve the feat.[100]
On 20 September, the packaged drinking water company Bisleri partnered with the filmmakers to release limited-edition water bottles featuring the film's coin logo. These limited-edition bottles were made available in 500ml, 1-liter, and 2-liter SKUs to consumers across Tamil Nadu and Kerala.[101]
Release
Theatrical
Leo was theatrically released on 19 October 2023 in standard and IMAX formats.[19][102] Apart from its original Tamil language, it was also released in the Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi languages.[103] The Telugu version's release was initially stalled due to a dispute over the title "Leo", which Naga Vamsi of Sithara Entertainments claimed to have already registered;[104] however, the issue was later resolved amicably.[105] In the United Kingdom, as with the rest of the world, the film was initially released on the same day; however, in a version which was classified 15 by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) for strong bloody violence, gore, threat, and sexual threat, following 2 minutes and 40 seconds of cuts.[106]
The Hindi-language version of the film, which was also released at this same point in time, was released uncut with an 18 classification by the BBFC for strong bloody violence, with the original Tamil-language version of the film subsequently getting the same classification and reasoning on 30 October 2023, and being released four days later on 3 November 2023, with the marketing for this version of the film clearly denoting its uncut status.[107]
Leo was the first film of Vijay to be released in the IMAX format in the UK.[108] It was the first Tamil film to release in Bangladesh on the same day as its worldwide release, just like in other major countries.[109] Leo was the first film to be released in over 999 locations and premiered on 18 October 2023.[110] It was reported that at least three versions of the film—distinct in differences in scene placement and editing for Leo's reveal to Antony—exist in theatres.[111]
Distribution
Sree Gokulam Movies acquired the distribution rights of the film in Kerala for ₹15 crore (US$1.8 million).[112] Sithara Entertainments brought the distribution rights for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.[113] Phars Films acquired the overseas distribution rights and will release the film themselves in the Middle East.[114] Ahimsa Entertainment acquired the distribution rights for the UK and 4 Seasons Creations for the rest of Europe,[115] Prathyangira Cinemas and AA Creations for North America,[116] Malik Streams for Malaysia.[117]
Pre-bookings
Pre-bookings started in the UK on 7 September 2023, six weeks before the film's release.[118] Over 10,000 tickets were sold on the first day of pre-bookings with a collection of £100,000 (US$136,986.3).[119] Pre-bookings started in the United States on 27 September 2023, three weeks before the film's release.[116] After the trailer was released, the premiere bookings for the film in the US crossed over US$500K.[120] 32,500 tickets were sold for the film's premiere in the UK for ₹2.5 crore (US$300,000), thus holding the record for the highest Day 1 collection in the UK for a Tamil film.[121][122] Day 1 bookings in the UK crossed £320,000 (US$438,356.16) 13 days before the film's release, thus holding the record for the highest Day 1 collection in the UK for an Indian film surpassing Pathaan.[123]
Home media
According to Indian trade sources, Leo is set to become the first Tamil film to achieve a pre-release recovery of ₹422 crore (US$51 million) with the sale of satellite, digital, music, and theatrical rights,[124] out of which, ₹246 crore (US$29 million) has been earned from the film's non-theatrical rights.[125]
The digital streaming rights were acquired by Netflix and the satellite rights by Sun TV.[126][127] The film premiered on Netflix on 24 November 2023 in India and on 28 November in the rest of the world in its original Tamil language, as well as in the Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam languages, with the Malayalam-language dub premiering on Netflix when the film released there, as opposed to premiering in theatres. An English-dubbed version of Leo was released on Netflix on 12 December 2023.[128][129]
Reception
Critical reception
Leo received mixed reviews from critics who praised Vijay's performance, technical aspects, action sequences while the writing received criticism.[130][131][132] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 11 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10.[133]
Divya Nair of Rediff gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Lokesh has cleverly used Vijay's angst and actions to create a picture of dual personality which works perfectly for Leo. The surprise addition in the climax sequence offers some hope and the possibility of a sequel."[134] Janani. K of India Today gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "'Leo' is a massy commercial actioner with brilliant stunt pieces that deserve a theatrical watch."[135] Sridevi S of The Times of India gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Though the whole 'LCU' part looks forced, one can say that with Leo, Lokesh has a strongest shot in his arm for the next franchise. Lokesh and Vijay's Leo is a lot 'bloody' than 'sweet'. Leo's roar may not be at its peak here, but, hey! it is still a Lion!"[136]
Suhasini Srihari of Deccan Herald gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Leo sets up as a delight to Thalapathy fans, and Kanagaraj has deliberately played with the conclusion of the movie that leaves the audience in anticipation of a major collaboration in the future."[137] Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Leo is undoubtedly a feather in Vijay's cap, it is indeed a step back for writer-director Lokesh Kanagaraj."[138] Himesh Mankad of Pinkvilla rated 2.5/5 stars and wrote "The film works primarily due to the fast-paced narrative, Vijay's powerful performance, and the LCU connection while the issue is in its wafer-thin plot, weak antagonist track, and routine writing".[139] Sonil Dedhia of News18 rated the film 2.5/5 stars and appreciated Vijay's presence and action sequences but criticised the storyline.[140]
Priyanka Sundar of Firstpost gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "This is an action film first and foremost, so how were the action sequences? They were definitely not seamless. Take the shot where Leo fights off a large group of people inside the factory. The idea is to give a hawk eye's view of the entire thing."[141] Bhuvanesh Chandar of The Hindu termed it as "Lokesh Kanagaraj's weakest film yet".[142] Ranjani Krishnakumar of Hindustan Times wrote "Vijay's performance in emotional scenes evokes no reactions even as Lokesh Kanagaraj provides ample electrifying action scenes."[143] Internationally, Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com stated Leo is a formulaic but satisfying Indian remake of A History of Violence.[144] Peter Debruge of Variety wrote "While not as consistently entertaining as last year's Vikram, "Leo" packs enough corny-but-satisfying spectacle to have fuelled, joins Kaithi and Vikram in potentially setting up an Expendables-style group effort down the road."[145]
In response to the mixed reviews, particularly criticism at the writing in the post-interval portions, Lokesh said that being beholden to the film's release date meant that he did not have enough time to perfect the screenplay, and that he would henceforth not announce release dates for his future projects early in their development.[146]
Box office
Leo grossed ₹145 crore (US$17 million) worldwide on its opening day, which was the highest first day gross for a Tamil film, with over ₹79 crore (US$9.5 million) from India.[147] The film surpassed Jawan to become the biggest opening for an Indian film in 2023.[148] The film crossed ₹200 crore (US$24 million) in two days, earning ₹122 crore (US$15 million) from India becoming the fastest Tamil film to reach the ₹200 crore mark.[149]
Leo debuted in third place at the worldwide box office, beating Killers of the Flower Moon on its opening weekend.[150] It grossed an estimated ₹403 crore (US$48 million) worldwide from its opening weekend of four days, becoming the fastest Tamil film to reach the ₹400 crore mark.[151] It also became the first Tamil film to enter the global weekend chart of Comscore, emerging as the number one film of the global box-office weekend.[152] Vijay became the first Indian actor to have two films top the Global Weekend charts, the other being Master (2021).[153][154]
The film grossed ₹461 crore (US$55 million) globally in seven days, becoming the highest-grossing Tamil film in its opening week.[155] It became the fastest Tamil film to reach the ₹500 crore mark in 10 days of its release.[156][157] On the film's 11th day of release, it crossed the milestone ₹300 crore mark domestically and reached ₹530 crore (US$64 million) globally.[158] The film crossed the ₹600 crore mark at the box office worldwide in the 25 days of its release.[159] On the other hand, Box Office India stated that the film ended its run with ₹595 crore (US$71 million) worldwide while, PINKVILLA reported it to be ₹620 crore (US$74 million).[5][6] It made ₹230 crore (US$28 million) from Tamil Nadu becoming the highest-grossing film in Tamil Nadu.[160]
Leo emerged as the second highest-grossing Tamil film of 2023 and the sixth highest-grossing Indian film of 2023. It became the highest-grossing Tamil film overseas, the second highest-grossing Tamil film of all time, the sixth highest-grossing South Indian film of all time and the 16th highest-grossing Indian film of all time. Leo is the highest-grossing film in the franchise as of its release.[161][162][163][160][6]
Controversies
Following the release of the song "Naa Ready", Pattali Makkal Katchi president and MP Anbumani Ramadoss asked Vijay to stop promoting smoking scenes in the film.[164] Chennai-based RTI Selvam filed an online complaint against the film with the Chennai Police Commissioner asking for action against Vijay under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The complaint stated that through the song, Vijay was glorifying consumption of drugs. On 26 June 2023, Selvam submitted his complaint in person as well. A ban on the film was also demanded.[165] As a result, the song was censored with less smoking scenes and some lyrics were modified under the suggestion of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).[166]
The background dancers, who were a part of the song, claimed that despite repeated requests, the makers are yet to pay them their full remuneration for their work. The production team clarified that the payment was sent to the Tamil Nadu Film, Television Dancers & Dance Directors Union (TANTTNNIS) for the registered members.[167]
After the release of the trailer, the usage of expletives by Vijay was widely criticised. Later, the CBFC sent legal notices to theatres for screening the uncertified trailer.[168] As a result, 43 seconds of the film were cut, with instances of gore and violence either blurred or replaced, although the runtime remained mostly unaffected.[2]
Future
In early August 2023, it was reported that the film would have a sequel, making it Vijay's first time doing one. The production for the sequel is reportedly expected to start in 2025 after Lokesh completes Coolie, Kaithi 2 and Vikram 2.[169][170] On 28 December, Lokesh commented about Leo 2, and said it would commence soon after Coolie finishes its production.[171]
Notes
References
- ^ Purushothaman, Kirubhakar (20 October 2023). "Why Lokesh Kanagaraj or Tamil cinema can't emulate David Cronenberg's A History of Violence". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Vijay's Leo undergoes 13 minor changes as per Censor Board's order: Gore, blood, and expletives get cut". The Indian Express. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Leo box office collection Day 9: Vijay's magic fizzles out at box office". Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ a b "'Leo' to 'Suriya 42': Five upcoming high-budget Tamil films". The Times of India. 23 March 2023. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ a b c "Salaar Worldwide Box Office Update". Box Office India. 5 January 2024. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
It is easily the biggest Telugu film of the year but there are two films from the Tamil industry above it. Jailer is tops at 605 crore apprx while Leo is second at 595 crore apprx.
- ^ a b c "Leo worldwide closing box office collections: Vijay starrer is the Highest grossing Tamil film of All Time". Pinkvilla. 23 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "On 'Thalapathy' Vijay's 49th birthday, fans gush over star's rugged look as 1st look of action thriller 'Leo' unveiled". The Economic Times. 22 June 2023. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ "'Leo' box office collection: Vijay starrer surpassed Rajinikanth's 'Jailer', becomes the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2023". The Times of India. 14 November 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ "'Animal' box office collection day 10: Ranbir Kapoor's film surpasses Dangal's lifetime biz in India, nears Rs 450 crore". Business Today. 11 December 2023. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Leo worldwide closing box office collections: Vijay starrer is the Highest grossing Tamil film of All Time". PINKVILLA. 23 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Top highest grossing films in Tamil Nadu: Thalapathy Vijay starrer Leo reigns Top". Pinkvilla. 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ Balachandran, Logesh (10 February 2021). "Thalapathy Vijay to reunite with Lokesh Kanagaraj for his 66th film?". India Today. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Before Atlee, Thalapathy Vijay to reunite with Lokesh Kanagaraj – Filming begins late 2022". Pinkvilla. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
- ^ "Vijay to reunite with filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj for 'Thalapathy 67': Report". Deccan Herald. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
- ^ "Lokesh Kanagaraj confirms talks are on for Vijay's Thalapathy 67". The Times of India. 19 March 2022. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "Lokesh Kanagaraj confirms Thalapathy 67 with Vijay". Cinema Express. 22 May 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy 67 update will be out in a week: Here are other developments in Vijay-Lokesh Kanagaraj's next". The Indian Express. 18 January 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Vijay's Thalapathy 67 is officially announced, big updates set to drop this week". The Indian Express. 30 January 2023. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Vijay's 67th film titled Leo – Bloody Sweet: First teaser is reminiscent of Kamal Haasan's Vikram". The Indian Express. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "Vijay to explore revenue sharing model with 'Thalapathy 67'?". The Times of India. 3 December 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ Rajpal, Roktim (20 April 2023). "Thalapathy Vijay did not want Leo to be pan-India film. Here's why he changed his mind". India Today. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- ^ "Vijay didn't want Leo to be a pan-Indian film, he initially said 'I want to make films for our people'". The Indian Express. 20 April 2023. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- ^ "Confirmed! 'Leo' to be part of LCU as the makers sign a NOC with Lokesh Kanagaraj's previous films". The Times of India. 8 August 2023. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Is Vijay's Leo a part of Lokesh Kanagaraj's Cinematic Universe with Kamal Haasan, Suriya and Karthi? Here's everything you need to know". The Indian Express. 20 October 2023. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Lokesh Kanagaraj on his growing influence with superstars: 'Vijay's Thalapathy 67 will be 100 per cent my film'". The Indian Express. 28 December 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "Rathna Kumar to join as screenplay writer for Vijay's 'Thalapathy 67'". The Times of India. 1 July 2022. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ Darshan, Navein (29 December 2022). "Jil Jung Juk director Deeraj Vaidy to co-write Thalapathy 67". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "'Thalapathy 67' goes on floors after muhurat puja". The Times of India. 5 December 2022. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Vijay Starrer Thalapathy 67 Team To Shoot First Promo On December 7: Reports". News18. 2 December 2022. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ Rajendran, Gopinath (17 January 2023). "Manoj Paramahamsa on board T67". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ "Vijay, Lokesh Kanagaraj reunite for 'Thalapathy 67'". The Hindu. 30 January 2023. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ a b "'Thalapathy 67': The official announcement is here!; film shooting began on January 2". The Times of India. 30 January 2023. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ "'Kaithi', 'Jagame Thanthiram', and 'Mahaan' fame costume designer to style Vijay in 'Thalapathy 67'". The Times of India. 8 November 2022. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Vijay's 'Thalapathy 67' goes for official announcement, production underway". The Economic Times. 31 January 2023. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Vijay's look for 'Leo' revealed as Sanjay Dutt joins the shoot". The Times of India. 12 March 2023. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "Vijay tried 30 different looks before finalising his 'Leo' look". The Times of India. 16 March 2023. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ "Vijay and Trisha Krishnan come together for pooja ahead of Thalapathy 67 shoot, fans react 'it's been 14 years of wait'". Hindustan Times. 1 February 2023. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ "Trisha set to share screen with Vijay after 14 years, will join cast of Thalapathy 67". The News Minute. 2 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Did you know 'Leo' is not only Vijay's 67th film but also Trisha's?". The Times of India. 5 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy 67: Sanjay Dutt to play the villain in Thalapathy Vijay's next". Filmfare. 1 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Sanjay Dutt to make Tamil debut opposite Vijay in Thalapathy 67, reveals he was convinced with just one line concept". Daily News and Analysis. 31 January 2023. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "'Thalapathy 67': Sanjay Dutt, Priya Anand join Vijay-Lokesh Kanagaraj film". The Hindu. 31 January 2023. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "'Thalapathy 67': Arjun, Gautham Menon join Vijay-Lokesh Kanagaraj film". The Hindu. 1 February 2023. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "Action King Arjun opens up about his role in Vijay's 'Leo' for the first time". The Times of India. 12 February 2023. Archived from the original on 13 February 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Did you Know THIS Malayalam actor was Lokesh's first choice to play Harold Das in 'Leo'?". The Times of India. 19 October 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ "Madonna Sebastian joins the cast of 'Leo'". The Times of India. 11 June 2023. Archived from the original on 11 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- ^ "Director Mysskin joins the cast of 'Thalapathy 67'; says nothing has changed between him and Vijay in 21 years". The Times of India. 31 January 2023. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "'Thalapathy 67': Mysskin, Mansoor Ali Khan, Sandy join Vijay-Lokesh Kanagaraj film". The Hindu. 31 January 2023. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ K, Janani (28 December 2022). "Gautham Menon joins Lokesh Kanagaraj, Vijay's Thalapathy 67. Fans can't keep calm". India Today. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ "Arjun Sarja, Gautham Menon, and Mansoor Ali Khan are elated to join Vijay's 'Thalapathy 67'". The Times of India. 1 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ Darshan, Navein (31 January 2023). "Malayalam actor Mathew Thomas to make his Tamil debut with Thalapathy 67". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy 67: From Sanjay Dutt to Gautham Menon, 8 actors who are a part of Vijay-Lokesh Kanagaraj's film". Pinkvilla. 31 January 2023. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Bigg Boss Tamil 6 fame Janany makes her movie debut with actor Vijay". The Times of India. 17 January 2023. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Vijay's Thalapathy 67 shoot with Lokesh Kanagaraj commences. Manobala tweets and deletes later". India Today. 3 January 2023. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ "Proof that Vijay's 'Thalapathy 67' is part of Lokesh Kanagaraj's LCU". The Times of India. 2 February 2023. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Abhirami Venkatachalam joins the cast of 'Leo'". The Times of India. 13 February 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Leo: THIS action hero is the latest to join Vijay, Lokesh Kanagaraj's film". OTTPlay. 10 March 2023. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy Vijay Pays Last Respect To His Leo Co-Star Manobala At His Residence". News18. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ Rajendran, Gopinath (24 October 2023). "A breakdown of Lokesh Kanagaraj's LCU: How the timelines of 'Kaithi', 'Vikram' and 'Leo' are interconnected". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ "'Thalapathy 67' shooting underway at the film city in Chennai". The Times of India. 3 January 2023. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ Srinivasan, Latha (2 February 2023). "Vijay's Thalapathy 67 with director Lokesh Kanagaraj to release on October 19?". India Today. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ "Kashmir schedule of Thalapathy 67 begins". Cinema Express. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ "Clip of Vijay from Leo sets in Kashmir leaked. Watch". The Indian Express. 13 February 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
- ^ "Vijay's 'Leo' makers warn against sharing leaked pics & videos". The Times of India. 13 February 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
- ^ "'Leo' makers take serious action to prevent leakage of pictures and videos from the film's sets". The Times of India. 28 February 2023. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ "Mysskin wraps up his schedule in Leo: 'Will never forget Vijay's love for me during the shoot'". The Indian Express. 27 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Gautham Vasudev Menon completes shooting for 'Leo'". The Times of India. 4 March 2023. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Vijay's 'Leo' BTS video promises a visual treat". The Times of India. 6 March 2023. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Sanjay Dutt wraps up Kashmir schedule of Vijay's 'Leo'". The Times of India. 17 March 2023. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ^ "South Buzz: 'Leo' halts in Kashmir; Actor Chetan Kumar arrested; First look poster of 'NBK 108' revealed". The Times of India. 22 March 2023. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ "Did you know Vijay shot a scene at -20 degrees in 'Leo' shirtless?". The Times of India. 19 June 2023. Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ a b "Lokesh Kanagaraj praises Leo's cast and crew as he wraps Kashmir schedule of Vijay film: 'Massive respect....'". The Indian Express. 23 March 2023. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ "Check the exotic locations where Vijay's blockbuster 'Leo' was filmed". CNBC TV18. 23 June 2023. Archived from the original on 23 June 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ "'Leo': The Chennai schedule of Vijay and Lokesh Kanagaraj's film to start on March 29". The Times of India. 28 March 2023. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ "Sanjay Dutt, Trisha, Priya Anand, and others to join Vijay for the Chennai schedule of 'Leo'". The Times of India. 5 April 2023. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy Vijay resumes Leo shoot in Chennai, new update on actor's birthday in June". India Today. 5 April 2023. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ "'Leo' film uses Mocobot camera for an action sequence!". The Times of India. 25 April 2023. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ "Sanjay Dutt and Trisha to join the sets of 'Leo' in May". The Times of India. 27 April 2023. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ^ "Lokesh Kanagaraj takes up a huge challenge for Vijay's 'Leo'". The Times of India. 28 April 2023. Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ^ "Shooting Of Thalapahy Vijay-starrer Leo's Introduction Song Underway In Chennai". News18. 6 June 2023. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ "Leo: Thalapathy Vijay's Naa Ready song budget revealed". OTTPlay. 18 June 2023. Archived from the original on 23 June 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ "'Leo' becomes the first Indian film to make use of a Komodo-X camera; check out the video here". The Times of India. 20 June 2023. Archived from the original on 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "The 'Leo' shoot moves to Talakona; Vijay's latest video from the sets goes viral". The Times of India. 26 June 2023. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "Vijay's 'Leo' climax sequence is to be shot at THIS place". The Times of India. 21 March 2023. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ "'Leo': Vijay wraps shooting for Lokesh Kanagaraj's film". The Hindu. 10 July 2023. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ "It's a wrap for Vijay – Lokesh Kanagaraj's 'Leo'". The Hindu. 15 July 2023. Archived from the original on 15 July 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
- ^ "'Leo': Lokesh Kanagaraj back to Kashmir to shoot for patchwork". The Times of India. 7 August 2023. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "Vijay and Lokesh Kanagaraj's 'Leo' to complete its shoot by THIS date". The Times of India. 26 February 2023. Archived from the original on 26 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- ^ "Bhediya, RRR CGI team roped in for Thalapathy Vijay's Leo, reveals producer". OTTplay. 21 June 2023. Archived from the original on 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "Will Vijay's 'Leo' gross more than Rs 1000 crore? Director Lokesh Kanagaraj answers". The Times of India. 1 September 2023. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Leo trailer: Fans thrilled as Chinmayi dubs for Trisha Krishnan in three languages". OTTPlay. 5 October 2023. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Did you know 'Leo' makers have spent 15 crores on the VFX of the Hyena sequence in the film?". The Times of India. 28 October 2023. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ Srinivasan, Latha (1 February 2023). "Vijay, Lokesh Kanagaraj's Thalapathy 67 audio rights sold for a whopping Rs 16 crore". India Today. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy Vijay's 'Leo' audio launch on Sep 30 cancelled". The Week. 27 September 2023. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ "Top Tamil Tracks of 2023". Spotify. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ "Waiting for Leo update? Lokesh Kanagaraj reveals reason behind the delay". OTTPlay. 17 September 2023. Archived from the original on 17 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ^ "Watch". The Times of India. 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Vijay's 'Leo' first look poster is now the most liked first look on Twitter in 24 hours". The Times of India. 23 June 2023. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ^ "'Leo' sets a new Instagram record; breaks 'Pushpa 2' first look poster record". The Times of India. 18 September 2023. Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ^ "'Leo' trailer shatters records to become the fastest-liked Indian film trailer". The Times of India. 6 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Bisleri Launches Limited Edition Bottles Featuring Thalapathy Vijay In 'Leo'". Business Standard. 30 September 2023. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ "ஐமேக்ஸ் தரத்தில் லியோ!". Dinamani (in Tamil). 9 August 2023. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ K, Janani (13 February 2023). "Rajinikanth's Jailer to Thalapathy Vijay's Leo, 5 Tamil mass masala entertainers to release in 2023. On Monday Masala". India Today. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "'Leo' Telugu release in trouble. Court issues order to withhold release till Oct 20". India Today. 17 October 2023. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ Cherukuri, Abhilasha (17 October 2023). "Naga Vamsi: Leo's Telugu release is on track!". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "Vijay's 'Leo' is violent and raw, strictly for people above 15: UK distributors". India Today. 12 October 2023. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ "Leo (18)". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ^ "Vijay Achieves New Milestone As Leo Becomes Thalapathy's First Film To Release In IMAX". Times Now. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ "'Leo' will be the firstTamil film to release in Bangladesh". The Times of India. 8 October 2023. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Leo Advance Sales Takes US Box Office By Storm, Vijay's film Overtakes Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan". Times Now. 12 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ "Is Vijay's film 'Leo' released in three versions?". The Times of India. 22 October 2023. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Sree Gokulam Movies Bags Thalapathy Vijay-starrer Leo's Distribution Rights In Kerala". News18. 7 July 2023. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ "Sithara Entertainments debuts into distribution with Thalapathy Vijay's 'LEO'". The Hans India. 19 July 2023. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
- ^ "Leo: Overseas theatrical rights of Thalapathy Vijay, Lokesh Kanagaraj's film sold to THIS leading distributor". OTT Play. 3 June 2023. Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ Menon, Thinkal (8 July 2023). "Leo: Europe distributor reveals their plans for the release of Thalapathy Vijay's forthcoming project". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 7 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
- ^ a b "LEO: Thalapathy Vijay's US booking began from THIS date". Asianet News. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ "Leo: THIS leading firm to release Vijay and Lokesh Kanagaraj's film in Malaysia". OTTPlay. 14 August 2023. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy Vijay's Leo: Bloody Sweet advance booking to start in UK on September 7; 42 days before the release". The Times of India. 27 August 2023. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy Vijay Starrer Leo Records Over 10,000 Advance Booking In The UK". ABP News. 9 September 2023. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy Vijay starrer 'Leo': Post trailer, the USA premiere crosses $500K; could hit 1 million before the release". The Times of India. 6 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "'Leo': 32,500 tickets sold in the UK for day 1 of release; expects to break the record presently held by 'Pathaan'". The Times of India. 1 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy Vijay's Leo collects Rs 2.5 crore in opening day advance booking in UK". The Times of India. 28 September 2023. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Vijay's 'Leo' surpasses Shah Rukh Khan's 'Pathaan' at the UK box office, creates a new record for an Indian film". The Times of India. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ Srinivasan, Latha (27 February 2023). "Thalapathy Vijay, Lokesh Kanagaraj's 'Leo' makes a whopping Rs 422 crore before release?". India Today. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy Vijay-Lokesh Kanagaraj Movie 'Leo' Earns Rs 246 Crore Even Before Release". Outlook. IANS. 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy 67: Netflix acquires digital rights of Vijay-starrer, Sun TV gets satellite rights". Hindustan Times. 2 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "Vijay film Thalapathy 67's satellite rights acquired by Sun TV, title to be revealed on February 3". The Indian Express. 2 February 2023. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ "'Thalapathy' Vijay's Leo to stream on Netflix from this date". The Indian Express. 20 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
- ^ Shah, Aditi (20 November 2023). "'Leo' OTT Release Date: Vijay-Starrer Action Thriller To Release On Netflix On This Date". BQ Prime. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
- ^ "'Leo' gets mixed review; fans call it Thalapathy Vijay's 'best performance'". CNBC TV18. 19 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Mixed reviews for 'Leo' as first reactions pour in: 'Unnecessary hype, full-on entertainment'". The Week. 19 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Leo first reactions are in: Vijay film gets mixed reviews on Twitter, gets compared with Rajinikanth's Jailer". Hindustan Times. 19 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Leo". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- ^ "Leo Review: Among Vijay's Best". Rediff. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ K, Janani (19 October 2023). "'Leo' Movie Review: Vijay delivers power-packed performance in Lokesh's actioner". India Today. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ S, Sridevi (19 October 2023). "Leo Movie Review : Lokesh rolls out a 'red' carpet to welcome Vijay to LCU". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Leo movie review: The action thriller elevates Vijay's stature". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "Leo is undoubtedly a feather in Vijay's cap, it is indeed a step back for writer-director Lokesh Kanagaraj". The Indian Express. 19 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ Mankad, Himesh (19 October 2023). "LEO Movie Review: Lokesh Kanagaraj's film works just due to Thalapathy Vijay's performance and the LCU connect". Pinkvilla. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ Dedhia, Sonil (19 October 2023). "Leo Review: A One-Man Show By Vijay; Actor Delivers Terrific Performance In Lokesh Kanagaraj Film". News18. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy Vijay, Trisha & Sanjay Dutt's Leo movie review". Firstpost. 19 October 2023. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ Chandar, Bhuvanesh (19 October 2023). "'Leo' movie review: A fiery Vijay valiantly tries to keep afloat Lokesh Kanagaraj's weakest film yet". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Leo review: Vijay's emotionally weak action overload is held up by some crafty filmmaking". Hindustan Times. 19 October 2023. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ Abrams, Simon (20 October 2023). "Leo". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (25 October 2023). "'Leo: Bloody Sweet' Review: Over-the-Top Indian Blockbuster Adds Vijay Mystery Character to Lokesh Cinematic Universe". Variety. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "Lokesh Kanagaraj reacts to the criticism about the lengthy second half of Vijay-starrer 'Leo'". The Times of India. 15 December 2023. Archived from the original on 2 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "Leo box office collections: Vijay film starts with a HUGE USD 8M first day Overseas for 140cr Worldwide Day 1". PINKVILLA. 20 October 2023. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ "Vijay's 'Leo' surpasses SRK's 'Jawan', becomes highest grossing opener worldwide". India Today. 20 October 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ "Leo Day 2 Hindi Box Office: Thalapathy Vijay, Lokesh Kanagaraj film shows decent hold; Collect Rs 1.85 crores". Pinkvilla. 21 October 2023. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (23 October 2023). "Vijay's 'Leo' Beats Leonardo DiCaprio's 'Killers of the Flower Moon' at Weekend Global Box Office". Variety. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ Bureau, The Hindu (23 October 2023). "'Leo' vs Leonardo DiCaprio: The Vijay starrer beats 'Killers of the Flower Moon' at weekend global box office". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
{{cite news}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (23 October 2023). "'Killers Of The Flower Moon' Blooms With $44M Global; India's 'Leo' Sweet In Opening; 'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour' Rises To $165M WW – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Comscore Rankings". Comscore. Archived from the original on 19 September 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Leo Emerges The 2nd Thalapathy Vijay Film To Top The Global Weekend Charts At The Box Office". Pinkvilla. 23 October 2023. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Leo box office collection day 7: Vijay's film becomes highest grossing Tamil film ever, earns over ₹461 cr worldwide". Hindustan Times. 27 October 2023. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy Vijay's 'Leo' unstoppable, becomes fastest Tamil film to cross Rs 500 cr milestone; likely to surpass Rajinikanth's 'Jailer' collection". The Economic Times. 26 October 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ^ "Thalapathy Vijay: 'Leo' Day 6 box-office: Vijay-starrer nears Rs 500 cr milestone globally, becomes actor's highest-grossing film ever". The Economic Times. 25 October 2023. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "'Leo' box office collection day 11: Thalapathy Vijay's film crosses Rs 300 crore mark in India". Business Today. 30 October 2023. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "Leo movie OTT release date confirm; here's when and where to watch". Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Top highest grossing films in Tamil Nadu: Thalapathy Vijay starrer Leo reigns Top". PINKVILLA. 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ "Leo Box Office collection Day 12: Vijay's film collects ₹ 6.27 crore". mint. 31 October 2023. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ "Leo box office collection day 12: Only Rs 67 crore separate Thalapathy Vijay's blockbuster from breaking Rajinikanth-starrer Jailer's record". The Indian Express. 31 October 2023. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
It currently stands as the second-biggest Tamil hit of the year, behind Rajinikanth's Jailer. It is also the biggest-ever film of Vijay's career, and the third-biggest Tamil hit of all time at the global box office, where it has made Rs 537 crore, behind Jailer and 2.0.
- ^ "Leo: Bloody Sweet' Director Lokesh Kanagaraj on Vijay-Starring Hit: 'It Is My Tribute to David Cronenberg' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.com. 7 November 2023. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ "'Vijay should keep his word and not smoke in films': MP Anbumani Ramadoss". The Indian Express. 19 June 2023. Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "Police complaint against Vijay for allegedly glorifying drug use in Leo song Naa Ready, ban on film demanded". Daily News and Analysis. 26 June 2023. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "CBFC modifies some visuals and lyrics of Naa Ready song from Leo". Cinema Express. 10 September 2023. Archived from the original on 10 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ^ "'Leo' background dancers accuse production house of non-payment". Onmanorama. 11 October 2023. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ "Leo Trailer Cuss Word Controversy: CBFC Sends Legal Notice To Theatres For Screening 'Uncertified' Trailer". Times Now. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ Kota, Naresh (8 August 2023). "Thalapathy Vijay Leo could be releasing in two parts!". NTV. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ "Vijay starrer 'Leo' will have two parts; the superstar to do a sequel for the first time!". The Times of India. 9 August 2023. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ "Lokesh Kanagaraj makes a double revelation as the director spills beans about 'Leo 2' and 'Thalaivar 171'". The Times of India. 28 December 2023. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
External links
- Leo at IMDb
- Leo at Rotten Tomatoes
- 2023 films
- 2020s gangster films
- 2020s Indian films
- 2020s Tamil-language films
- 2023 action thriller films
- 2023 controversies
- 2023 crime action films
- 2023 crime thriller films
- Censored films
- Fiction with unreliable narrators
- Film censorship in India
- Films about drugs
- Films about filicide
- Films about human sacrifice
- Films about patricide
- Films about the illegal drug trade
- Films based on adaptations
- Films directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj
- Films scored by Anirudh Ravichander
- Films set in Himachal Pradesh
- Films set in Tamil Nadu
- Films set in Telangana
- Films shot at Ramoji Film City
- Films shot in Andhra Pradesh
- Films shot in Chennai
- Films shot in Hyderabad, India
- Films shot in Jammu and Kashmir
- Films shot in Kodaikanal
- Films shot in Srinagar
- Indian action thriller films
- Indian crime action films
- Indian crime thriller films
- Indian films about revenge
- Indian gangster films
- Indian IMAX films
- Indian neo-noir films
- Indian remakes of American films
- Indian sequel films
- Live-action films based on comics
- Midlife crisis films
- Obscenity controversies in film
- Salary controversies in film
- Tamil-language Indian films
- Twins in Indian films
- Works subject to expurgation