Chaos surrounds 'Leo': No early 7:00am shows in Tamil Nadu
What's the story
Lokesh Kanagaraj's Leo is shrouded in controversy just a day before its release on Thursday.
While the Tamil Nadu government initially greenlit early morning shows for Leo at 7:00am, recent reports suggest that the first show for the film will now begin at 9:00am.
Further, theater owners in TN have decided to stop holding teaser and trailer celebrations within their cinema halls after Vijay's fans vandalized a Chennai theater on Tuesday.
Announcement
TN govt declined to reconsider 4:am or 7:am shows: Report
Film trade analyst Manobala Vijayabalan announced on Wednesday that the Tamil Nadu government has declined to reconsider allowing 4:00am or 7:00am shows for Leo.
The decision confirms that the film will now commence its First Day First Show (FDFS) at 9:00am, adhering to the previous government order.
The request for early morning shows was made by Seven Screen Studios, the film's production house, to meet the high demand expected for the movie.
Vandalized theaters
'We have decided not to release any more trailers...'
In another post on X, Vijayabalan posted pictures and videos depicting the aftermath of a vandalized Chennai theater.
The images revealed broken seats, with a message that read, "Tamil Nadu theatres to stop teaser/trailer celebrations."
This decision has come after Vijay's fans completely thrashed Rohini Cinemas in Chennai during the Leo trailer launch celebration.
Twitter Post
Take a look at the X/Twitter post here
Just IN: Tamil Nadu theatres to STOP teaser/trailer celebrations.
— Manobala Vijayabalan (@ManobalaV) October 17, 2023
This decision has come after Joseph Vijay fans have completely thrashed Rohini Cinemas in Chennai during #Leo trailer launch celebration.pic.twitter.com/vQ9sd6uvJg
President of Theater Owners Association has said…
Decision
Meanwhile, 'Leo' will release on Thursday in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
In another development, Leo is poised for its much-anticipated Thursday release in the Telugu states, according to producer S Naga Vamsi, who made this announcement during a press conference in Hyderabad.
This comes after a temporary halt on the screening of the film by a city civil court in Hyderabad until Friday.
Vamsi is the distributor for the film in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Insights
Here's everything to know about 'Leo'
Directed by Kanagaraj, Leo features Vijay alongside Trisha Krishnan and Sanjay Dutt.
The film is produced by Lalit Kumar and Jagadish Palanisamy.
Notably, it will compete with Telugu releases, including Nandamuri Balakrishna's Bhagvanth Kesari and Ravi Teja's Tiger Nageswara Rao.
In the meantime, advance ticket sales for the film are soaring. A day-one revenue of Rs. 34 crore has already been generated by Leo.
Tamil Nadu has sold the most tickets.