Leo (2023 Indian film)
Leo (also marketed as Leo: Bloody Sweet) is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film[ directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Seven Screen Studio. The film stars Vijay in the titular role, alongside Sanjay Dutt, Arjun, Trisha, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mysskin, Madonna Sebastian, George Maryan, Mansoor Ali Khan, Priya Anand and Mathew Thomas. It is the third installment in the Lokesh Cinematic Universe and is inspired by A History of Violence (2005), an adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name. 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. It set several box office records for a Tamil film, emerging as the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2023, the fourth highest-grossing Indian film of 2023, the highest-grossing Tamil film overseas and the highest-grossing film in Tamil Nadu.
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). Reports of a potential collaboration between Lokesh and Vijay continued through February 2022. The following March, Lokesh confirmed there were discussions for him to direct Vijay's 67th film. That May, he confirmed the project, tentatively titled Thalapathy 67.The project was funded by S. S. Lalit Kumar's Seven Screen Studio, which had distributed and co-produced Master.[Vijay's manager, Jagadish Palanisamy, served as a co-producer. The company made a public announcement on 30 January 2023, confirming the project, and the film's official title Leo was revealed on 3 February 2023.
The film was made on a budget of ₹250–350 crore, and Vijay was reported to receive ₹120 crore (US$15 million) as his remuneration.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$6.3 million) as an advance, and a chunk of the profits would be received as the actor's remuneration. 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. 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 installments Kaithi (2019) and Vikram (2022) respectively.The film's status in the LCU was not confirmed until after its release.