The Lokesh Kanagaraj Cinematic Universe (LCU) is expanding yet again, this time with Benz, the upcoming Raghava Lawrence starrer directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan. While Kaithi, Vikram, and Leo are the confirmed pillars of the LCU, Benz marks the first film not directed by Lokesh himself to be officially tied to the universe.
For weeks, fans speculated which of Lokesh’s films Benz might connect to, and now, a viral on-set picture seems to have answered that question. A photo from the current Chennai schedule shows a massive set resembling the Leobackdrop, sparking buzz that the film will be directly linked to Thalapathy Vijay’s Leo. Reports suggest Benz could explore a parallel storyline connected to Vijay’s character, Leo Das, potentially delving into parts of his past that the original film only hinted at.
The project, penned by Lokesh Kanagaraj, features Raghava Lawrence in the lead, alongside Nivin Pauly and Samyuktha Menon. The film is described as a high-octane action drama that aims to bring a fresh layer to the LCU. Music for Benz is being composed by Sai Abhyankkar, making him the third composer to enter the Lokesh Kanagaraj Cinematic Universe after Sam CS and Anirudh Ravichander.
Following the mixed response to his recent Rajinikanth-starrer Coolie, Lokesh is now focusing on Kaithi 2, the much-anticipated sequel that will reunite him with Karthi and trace the origins of the 2019 blockbuster. He is also set to make his full-fledged acting debut with the Arun Matheswaran directorial, DC, which will also star Wamiqa Gabbi in lead roles.
The film is produced by Lokesh Kanagaraj under the G Squad banner, along with Sudhan Sundaram (Passion Studios) and Jagadish Palanisamy (The Route), with Pradeep Boopathi as the creative producer.
