Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business is no longer opening on November 6, 2026. The Anshuman Jha-starrer has moved its worldwide theatrical release to early 2027, with the makers planning a bigger international rollout and steering clear of the Ranbir Kapoor-led Ramayana.
A date change, not a retreat
The original November 6 date would have placed the sequel in the same release corridor as Ramayana. The team said the shift gives the film room for a “grander worldwide theatrical release in early 2027.”
The film still keeps a Diwali-week moment. It will have its world premiere in Belgium on November 7 as part of the Razor Reel Flanders Film Festival, where it has been selected for the programme.
The makers said they are “thrilled to be premiering Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business during Diwali week in Belgium at Razor Reel Flanders.”
Three beats before the wide release
- Belgium premiere: November 7 gives the title a first public screening without a box-office clash.
- American Film Market: The team will present the film in November to explore North American distribution for 2027.
- Part 1 re-release: The first Lakadbaggha film returns to select Indian cinemas from November to refresh the franchise.
The producers added that the re-release will let audiences “revisit the birth story of our animal-lover vigilante franchise before Arjun Bakshi returns for his next adventure.”
Why the Ramayana escape matters
For distributors and media planners, this is release-date counterprogramming: moving a mid-sized title out of a tentpole corridor to protect screens and marketing attention. A smaller sequel does not have to beat a crowd; it has to find enough premium screens and clean air to convert its own audience. Moving is not a guarantee of success, but it removes a structural disadvantage for a sequel that needs screens to build a wider international number.
The festival and market stops are not just publicity. A market like AFM gives the team a chance to lock distribution commitments before committing to the next date, and a re-release keeps the first film active in the audience’s memory.
The business read
The risk here is momentum loss: a film that leaves a fixed date can fade if the new runway is not used well. The upside is a wider 2027 release with distribution partners already attached. For screen business watchers, the next signals are the AFM outcome and the response to the Part 1 re-release.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
