What RRR did for Netflix was unlike anything that has ever happened. All of a sudden, Americans even top celebrities are tweeting about how much they loved the Rajamouli action drama. They want to rewatch it on the weekends with their family, then again with friends, and then again in the office leisure time! Everyone is suddenly talking about a non-English film that blew their mind and has been on a record-breaking spree on the platform, even breaking those set by the $200M Red Notice!
The hype only grew from then on. From top American magazines predicting that the film is an Oscar favorite for Best Feature Film and actors Ram Charan and NTR Jr. being among the frontrunners for the Best Actor category, the buzz is unreal. This was a great opportunity for Netflix to build upon. The problem? Rajamouli had imagined it as a single feature film and he has no plans yet for the film. In fact, he has already moved to bigger projects.
All the talk around RRR has unintentionally opened a huge opportunity for Disney with ‘Brahmastra’. Brahmastra has been marketed in the US, in some interviews, and on social media as the next big outing of ‘RRR’ star Alia Bhatt, who had a cameo in the film. Had RRR been released on any other OTT platform, it may not have gained the same attention it got on Netflix. Disney is also trying to give Brahmastra that big break by releasing it on the American OTT platform Hulu after its theatrical run hoping to replicate the same waves ‘RRR’ did.
While Netflix didn’t get the opportunity to use the film’s popularity well, Disney has the opportunity to take a leap of faith with Brahmastra and the Astraverse. The difference? Unlike RRR being just another Indian film Netflix had digital rights for, Disney was co-producer of Brahmastra and the whole IP of Brahmastra including satellite and digital rights lies with it. And what this means for the Indian fans of Brahmastra if they decide to go forward with plans for the Astraverse? The chance to watch the film franchise rooted in Indian culture be given the famous MCU treatment. Prequels, sequels, spin-off series like what they did for Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye, official merchandise, PC/Playstation Games, and rides in Disneyland among others.
But is this too big a dream to come true? Maybe not, listening to the words of a top Disney executive.
In a recent interaction with ET’s Gaurav Laghate, Rebecca Campbell, chairman of Disney’s international content and operations hinted at Brahmastra’s future and what Astraverse means for the company. She, when elaborating on a question about Disney’s movie strategy, said “Brahmastra is not a one-off project; it’s going to be a trilogy. So many great things to come with the relationship with our company with them.”
If Brahmastra finds this same craze after its release on Hulu in the US, these grand dreams may not just stay dreams. Disney is not a company that let good opportunities get away. They own the IP of the highest-grossing film franchise in the world and know what huge potential Astraverse represents. It will also introduce our rich Indian culture to the rest of the world in a whole new light, through the action-fantasy genre. The key takeaway? Disney and Astraverse may have the potential for bigger things that Netflix simply did not have with RRR. And for the sake of the fans, we hope Disney use them as brilliantly as they did with the MCU.
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
