Unni Mukundan’s ultra-violent Malayalam film Marco had released in the original and Hindi versions on December 20 in Karnataka and the Kannada-dubbed ones comes ahead of its impending OTT outing
Last Updated: 12.08 PM, Jan 28, 2025
Malayalam actor Unni Mukundan’s neo-noir action thriller is nearing the end of its theatrical run, after a phenomenal outing that saw the A-rated, ultra-violent film break into the Rs 100 crore club. The film’s original Malayalam version and the Hindi dubbed ones (Rs 12 crore) were the biggest contributors to this. The Telugu version, which came out 10 days after the film’s December 20 initial release, also brought in close to Rs 5 crore, while Tamil came in at Rs 1.4 crore only.
Now, more than a month after its initial release and having made around Rs 4.4 crore from the Karnataka market, from the Malayalam version, Marco is hitting theatres with a Kannada-dubbed version on January 31, 2025. While Kannada audiences have been appreciative of being served in their language, as has been witnessed with the box office performance of films like Jailer, Salaar: Ceasefire, Kalki 2898 AD and, more recently, Pushpa 2 The Rule, these films had simultaneous releases in all languages.
Those who wanted to see Marco based on the word-of-mouth publicity, would have seen it by now, one reckons. Is it a little too late for Unni Mukundan’s film, considering that its OTT rights have been picked up by Sony LIV and a streaming date is expected shortly? Well, given that the platform is yet to announce a date for when Marco will be available, the film could still work at the box office, given that several netizens have been vocal about wanting to see it in a Kannada-dubbed version.
In the land of Rocky Bhai and KGF, a film like Marco will resonate with audiences, reckon trade experts. But will the film be able to register a new record against its name and outdo the box office numbers that Pushpa 2 The Rule managed with its Kannada version? The Allu Arjun-led Pushpa 2’s Kannada version made just under Rs 10 crore, which is the highest ever for a dubbed film. Rs 9.2 crore is the exact figure to beat.
Marco, which is a spin-off from the Nivin Pauly-led Michael, is set to be developed into a trilogy, based on the positive response it got. Unni Mukundan has promised that that action and violence will be even better in part 2. Interestingly, Marco was the first Indian film to get an R21 rating in Singapore, so, one can only imagine what the next upgrade will be like.