The first-look poster for Santhanam's DD Returns sequel, titled DD Next Level, was unveiled on Tuesday, on the occasion of the actor's birthday. The film is written and directed by S Prem Anand, who also directed the original film. The film is slated to hit theatres in May 2025.
Produced by Arya, the upcoming film also stars Selvaraghavan, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Geethika, Yashika Aannand, Maaran, Nizhalgal Ravi, Kasthuri Shankar and Rajendran, among others. The first-look poster features a casual and fearless Santhanam holding on to a crutch made out of bones. Behind him, we see a poster featuring Gautham Menon, Selvaraghavan, and others in menacing looks.
The upcoming film will also be produced by Niharika Entertainment. DD Next Level will have music composed by oFRo, editing by Bharath Vikraman, and cinematography by Deepak Kumar Padhy.
According to a press note, director Prem Anand said, "DD Returns was a huge success with great response from audience from all walks of life. We worked on the script of its sequel for one year. From children to adults, everyone will laugh and enjoy this flick too."
He added, "The story of this film starts on a cruise ship and takes place on an island. We erected sets with a huge budget. It's great that Niharika Entertainment, actor Arya and Santhanam have teamed up to produce this film. It will be more exciting and hilarious than DD Returns. The film will be an enjoyable experience to fans of all age groups."
The Dhilluku Dhuddu franchise began in 2016 with the namesake horror comedy, directed by Rambhala. He returned to direct Dhilluku Dhuddu 2, which was released in 2019. A third film, a standalone sequel titled DD Returns, released in 2023 and was helmed by Prem Anand. All the films were commercial hits at the box office.
