The Lokesh Kanagaraj Cinematic Universe (LCU) is busy steaming ahead, and here's the latest development on the next instalment, Benz!
Malayalam star Nivin Pauly has signed the project already in a hitherto unseen villainous role, poised to rock the burgeoning Tamil action universe.
In an intense promo video, Nivin is seen as Walter, a ruffled character with blood all over, sporting a grimy bearded look with golden teeth and a deadly stare. Stripped of his usual charm, this Nivin is terrifying and magnetic in the same breath.
The big twist? Nivin Pauly is set to do dual role in Benz. Besides Walter, George will also play a shy and an illiterate man and that, a deviation for sure in the same story arc. In the teaser, Walter chillingly describes himself as someone with a "dirty mind, beautiful heart... deadly combination," preparing the stage for a psychological standoff with the film's masked vigilante hero.
Watch the video here:
Announcing the news officially, the production team announced: "Say hello to #Walter Our very own Certified Baddie AKA NivinPauly."
Benz, directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan is the fourth installment in the LCU after Kaithi, Vikram, and Leo. It features Raghava Lawrence in the leading role as Benz, a vigilante. Lokesh Kanagaraj, assisted by co-writer Pon Parthiban is behind the script work of this film alongside producing it under his Locomotive Productions—technically the first LCU film in which Lokesh is not going to wield the megaphone himself.
The film stars Vaathi sensation Samyuktha as the female lead, and the viral background score maker from AA22xA6 and Suriya45, Sai Abhyankar as a debutante music director.
Nivin Pauly was last seen in the Malayalam movie Malayalee From India and has wrapped up the shoot of Baby Girl. With Benz, not only does he open up a bold, complex double role, he has also asserted himself in one of South India's most ambitious shared universes.
Apart from Benz, Nivin has a number of intriguing films like the socially relevant Dear Students in which he pairs with Nayanthara, the quirky Dolby Dineshan and the genre-defying Multiverse Manmadhan in his blip. He's also rumoured to be joining the cast of a forthcoming horror comedy.
As Benz prepares to shoot, Nivin's metamorphosis into a sexy baddie threatens to infuse some fresh blood into the LCU - and potentially reboot his blockbuster persona to unprecedented highs.
