If the Kannada film industry is rocking globally today, a massive chunk of credit should go to the KGF franchise. Prashanth Neel's action franchise that started with KGF (2018) and KGF 2 (2022) were the first pan-India blockbusters from Sandalwood with the second installment setting benchmarks even in Bollywood.
KGF was a massive box office success grossing close to Rs 239 crore worldwide, a mammoth figure when you consider Kannada films and this blockbuster opened new avenues for Sandalwood films across India and overseas. The goodwill earned by the franchise multiplied by infinity as KGF 2 smashed all box office records by crossing the coveted Rs 1000 crore worldwide gross barrier.
While KGF was a success in terms of recovery in overseas territories, the numbers weren't high. However, KGF 2 did phenomenal business overseas, grossing Rs 215 crore abroad. When you think of it, KGF 2's overseas collections alone came close to the overall worldwide business of KGF 2. Yash's Rocky Bhai is a household name in India and the KGF franchise remains a formidable franchise with huge potential.
Naturally, there is curiosity over when the third installment KGF 3 will begin. A hint of a sequel was thrown in during the final moments of KGF 2 but Neel and Yash had both refrained from giving a major update all this while. While Yash is busy with his big-budget project Toxic and the magnum opus Ramayan, Neel has the Salaar sequel and Dragon with NTR Jr in the pipeline.
Amidst all this, KGF 3 is understandably going to take some time but sources from Sandalwood trade industry have an unconfirmed buzz regarding the project. News coming in states that Salaar 2 may not kick-off immediately after Dragon. Prabhas, who has been buy with Raja Saab, is set to have hectic time with Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit.
Meanwhile, Toxic is set for a early 2026 release and the first part of Ramayan is also scheduled for the same year in the second half. This puts Yash in a strong situation to begin the works of KGF 3 with Neel if the duo decide to go kickstart the project. Sources close to Hombale Films indicate that shoot could start in 2026 with a big release expected in 2027.
Currently, KGF 3 for 2027 is the big buzz in Sandalwood trade with no real details available at this point. Considering that Neel and Yash are amidst extremely packed schedules, and with the Prabhas factor also there, exact timelines of the films will be hard to predict. However, it does seem like a surprise is in store as far as KGF 3 official updates are concerned and we might get one in 2025 itself.
