EXCLUSIVE: Nikhil Bhat locks a global action film with Universal Studios; Aims to cast top Hollywood actors in the film

Nikhil Bhat's next is one of those scripts that warrants the presence of global stars, and the cast will take everyone in India by surprise. Details

Written by Himesh Mankad , Journalist

Published on Aug 28, 2025 | 02:12 PM IST | 28K

EXCLUSIVE: Nikhil Bhat locks a global action film with Universal Studios; Aims to cast top Hollywood actors in the film

In 2023, Nikhil Bhat grabbed global attention with the Karan Johar and Guneet Monga-produced action thriller, Kill led by Lakshya. The film made rounds to several film festivals and also managed to do decent business at the box office in India, winning appreciation for the path-breaking action sequences. Ever since, there have been several reports on the what Nikhil Bhat is upto, as actors from the North and South showed interest in collaborate with him.

And now, Pinkvilla has exclusively learnt that Nikhil Bhat has locked a film with Hollywood giant, Universal Studios. “Nikhil Bhat has been meeting the heads of Universal Studios for a while now, and the things are finally on paper. The director is all set to make his Hollywood debut with a global action film, which is presently in the scripting stage. It’s a high-octane action spectacle touted to be mounted on a big-scale art a humongous budget. This is Nikhil’s most ambitious film till date, and is expected to put him on the global map,” revealed a source close to the development.

The source further informed that Nikhil was initially planning to mount an action drama, but the process of writing organically made it a global action extravaganza. “The filmmaker plans to cast top Hollywood stars to spearhead the film, and the names are also in the discussion at Universal Studios. It’s one of those scripts that warrants the presence of global stars, and the cast will take everyone in India by surprise. The things are presently kept under wraps.”

Nikhil Bhat is expected to take the film on floors in 2026, and the exact timelines will be locked once they get a cast on board. Meanwhile, Nikhil Bhat’s next film is with Murad Khetani, which is presently in the pre-production stage. The duo have previously worked on Apurva. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates

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