Film Production
Fox Star Studios inks nine film production & distribution deal with Karan Johar
MUMBAI: In one of the biggest deals in recent times, Fox Star Studios has inked a nine-film deal with Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions.
As per the deal, which will run over the next three years, the two companies will jointly produce and distribute films, which will be helmed by directors like Johar, Ayan Mukerji and Karan Malhotra amongst others. The films are also likely to stars names like Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt to name a few.
Under the terms of this deal, while some films will be co-produced by the two companies, others will be for distribution only.
Star India CEO Uday Shankar said, “The Indian film industry is an important market for us and this strategic partnership offers us an excellent opportunity to fundamentally change the content quality paradigm. This venture is the natural step in our progression to create entertaining and eclectic content for a global audience and to grow the business through game-changing innovation in content, marketing and distribution.”
Johar added, “Movies for me have always been a blend of artistic and commercial resources. Dharma Productions has always endeavored to attain the highest form of celluloid excellence and entertain simultaneously. I am glad we have found a partner in Star India and Fox Star Studios for a visionary nine films alliance. This partnership will not only be the coming together of two forces who understand the need of the cinematic hour but also work as a unit to increase the footfall strength at the movies and empower other verticals. It’s a new age of cinema and this association is a glorious reflection of the times.”
Fox Star Studios CEO Vijay Singh said, “This strategic alliance is path-breaking as it envisages the stakeholders pooling in their collective strengths and thereby chalking a new path for Bollywood, specifically in the way in which films are marketed and distributed. Consolidation through strategic alliances is the way forward in the film industry.”
Dharma Productions CEO Apoorva Mehta added, “It is by far the biggest collaboration that the Indian film Industry has ever seen. With this strategic deal, Dharma has entered into a new phase of movie business, which will provide a disruptive growth model for all the parties involved. This landmark decision will bring on board the most visionary and astute leaders together who will drive the overall strategy for making, promoting and distributing movies. I am happy to say that Dharma is excited and geared up for these new opportunities in the coming years and it definitely looks like the beginning of a game-changing era for the industry.”
Film Production
Arka Mediaworks onboards 88 Pictures as animation studio partner on ‘The Eternal War – Part 1’
Arka Mediaworks announces that 88 Pictures, the acclaimed animation and visual storytelling studio known for its cutting-edge CGI and cinematic artistry, is on board as the animation partner for the highly anticipated Baahubali: The Eternal War, a groundbreaking two-part 3D animated feature film set in the globally beloved Baahubali universe.
Baahubali: The Eternal War represents a bold new chapter in the Baahubali saga envisioned for national and international audiences and crafted with the ambition of delivering one of India’s most ambitious and globally benchmarked animation projects to date.
88 Pictures will execute the animation production, bringing to life the film’s richly detailed worlds, epic battle sequences, and larger-than-life characters with its signature blend of artistic vision, performance-driven animation, and advanced production pipelines. Working closely with the film’s creative leadership and technical partners, the studio aims to set new benchmarks in animation quality, cinematic storytelling, and global scalability.
This animated epic follows the successful re-release of Baahubali: The Epic (the combined theatrical version of the original live-action films) on 31 October 2025 across India and the USA. During the film’s interval, legendary creator and director S.S. Rajamouli (Baahubali 1 & 2, RRR) stunned audiences with a surprise teaser for The Eternal War – Part 1. The video immediately went viral, garnering widespread national and international acclaim across LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for its ambitious visual style and scale.
Produced by Arka Mediaworks and led by co-founder and CEO Shobu Yarlagadda – producer of the iconic Baahubali duology, The Eternal War brings together fantastic storytelling and cutting-edge animation.. The film is directed and written by acclaimed animation filmmaker Ishan Shukla (Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust, Star Wars: Visions – “The Bandits of Golak”) and screenplay by Scott Mosier (The Grinch). Mihira Visual Labs, the studio co-founded by Yarlagadda anchors the film’s animation, visual development, and execution.
The partnership with 88 Pictures brings significant pedigree to the project; the studio is well-regarded for its work on high-profile international titles including DreamWorks’ series Trollhunters, the HBO Max original series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Disney’s animated short An Almost Christmas Story to name a few.
Yarlagadda shared, “We are happy to onboard 88 Pictures as the animation studio partner for our prestigious and most expensive animated film from India. We believe that their expertise and capabilities will allow us to produce a first-of-its-kind, world-class animated feature film from India.”
88 Pictures founder & CEO Milind D. Shinde said, “Baahubali changed the way cinema is perceived and became a defining milestone that turned the tide for Indian live-action filmmaking. Expanding the franchise into an entirely new universe—at a never-seen, never-done scale—through an animated feature created in India for a global audience is set to redefine how the world views Indian animation. We are truly thrilled to be part of this landmark project and to bring it to life under the visionary direction of Ishan Shukla, guided by the experience and leadership of acclaimed producer Shobu Yarlagadda.”
Shukla expressed, “Eternal War requires a level of visual and emotional precision that can only come from teams who truly understand both craft and intent. Working with 88 Pictures, alongside Mihira Visual Labs, has been a deeply collaborative experience. This association brings together technical excellence and creative sensitivity, enabling us to translate an ambitious vision into a compelling cinematic reality.”
Baahubali: The Eternal War – Part 1 is scheduled for release in 2027
