iWorld
Lionsgate roars louder as Hollywood meets Hyderabad in 2026
MUMBAI: Hollywood’s roaring lion just found its desi accent. Lionsgate Play, the premium streaming platform that’s redefined Hollywood for Indian screens, is entering 2026 with a bang and a hundred more. The platform has announced a record-breaking slate of 100 plus premieres across languages, cementing its claim as India’s “Home for Action” while widening its cinematic jungle to embrace regional storytelling.
In just five years, Lionsgate Play has grown from a niche Hollywood service into a full-blown entertainment powerhouse now reaching over 40 million viewers through a vast distribution network that stretches from metros to mini-screens. Its latest evolution? A blend of blockbuster swagger and local soul.
2025 was the turning point. With audiences increasingly vibing to Southern storytelling, Lionsgate Play turned its camera beyond Los Angeles, premiering Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam titles like Dakshina, Eleven, Soothravakyam, and Racharikam. The result was pure box-office streaming energy, a 40 per cent surge in consumption, even as the global industry reeled from the Hollywood strikes of 2024.
And now, 2026 promises an even bolder leap. The platform’s upcoming lineup is stacked like never before, a global-meets-local buffet of spectacle and storytelling.
The Hollywood big guns are back: From Gerard Butler’s Greenland: Migration to Angelina Jolie’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, and from Mutiny to The Rivals of Amziah King, the slate packs serious star wattage with the likes of Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, and Matthew McConaughey.
The South stays strong: Building on its regional momentum, Lionsgate Play is rolling out 25 plus Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada titles, ensuring that cinematic flavour flows from both sides of the equator.
The Hindi turn: The streamer is also going desi in Delhi expanding into Hindi originals with a curated mix of crime thrillers, horror comedies, and game shows, each designed to tap India’s ever-evolving taste for drama with a twist.
And the classics never fade: In between the new, Lionsgate Play is doubling down on its cult collection. Think Sherlock meets Spider-Man, Rambo joins Men in Black, and Charlie Chaplin shares screen space with Jumanji and Anaconda. A line-up tailor-made for every mood, every generation.
“Our journey so far has been defined by bold storytelling and a deep understanding of what today’s audience seeks quality, variety, and authenticity,” said Lionsgate Play Asia president Rohit Jain. “2026 marks a turning point. We’re scaling our stories, deepening regional connections, and making premium global entertainment more inclusive and accessible than ever before.”
With its expanding footprint and its eye firmly on cultural inclusivity, Lionsgate Play is no longer just Hollywood’s Indian outpost, it’s a full-fledged entertainment ecosystem where Los Angeles meets Lucknow, and where cinematic worlds collide, connect, and click ‘Play’.
iWorld
Epic Company launches unified Epic Studio for films and OTT
Vivek Krishnani to head films business; Samar Khan leads OTT & Television.
MUMBAI: Epic just merged its creative superheroes under one cape because when films and OTT need to fight for attention together, you don’t keep them in separate universes. The Epic Company has launched Epic Studio, a next-generation creative and production powerhouse that unites Juggernaut Productions and Movieverse Studio under a single banner. The move creates a streamlined, scalable platform for premium storytelling across theatrical films, OTT originals, television, digital-first formats and branded content.
Vivek Krishnani has been appointed chief executive officer, Epic Studio (Films), overseeing the theatrical and film business with a focus on culturally resonant narratives across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati and Malayalam cinema. Samar Khan continues as chief executive officer, Epic Studio (OTT & Television) and retains his role as chief content officer for Docubay and Epic On.
The Epic Company managing director Aditya Pittie said, “Epic Studio brings together our entire creative ecosystem under one unified studio vision. This is not just an integration of verticals, but the creation of a collaborative environment where writers, filmmakers, creators, and brand partners can seamlessly develop and scale stories across formats and screens.”
Vivek Krishnani added, “We are building an audience-focused mainstream film studio committed to delivering fresh, engaging, and innovative stories for both theatrical and streaming platforms.”
Samar Khan commented, “This alignment allows us to approach storytelling with a unified studio mindset. We are building IP under one creative umbrella, with scale and longevity in mind from inception.”
The unified structure eliminates silos, enabling ideas to flow fluidly from concept to screen while adapting to evolving audience behaviour. Epic Studio positions itself as a creator-led ecosystem championing purposeful, resonant storytelling with commercial strength.
In an entertainment landscape where stories now leap between screens faster than plot twists, Epic isn’t just building a studio, it’s crafting a single launchpad where every tale gets the best shot at soaring across every platform.
