Thug Life’s Theatrical Crash Now Haunts Its OTT Future

Before its release, Thug Life made headlines for many reasons. One of the main reasons is that the team opted for an eight-week post-theatrical window for OTT release. Much to the deviation of what is being followed in South, the makers of Thug Life decided to release their film on Netflix, only eight weeks after its release. With the film disappointing everyone at the box office, it has become a headache for the film unit now.

With audiences rejecting Thug Life almost from day one, it is now being labeled not just a flop, but a contender for the biggest disaster of the decade. The film’s collections are not at all good, and the losses are too high for all parties involved. There is pressure on producers to compensate distributors, but then the production house inked a deal with an OTT platform at a price less than what could have been offered if it were a 4-week window.

The buzz in the Tamil film circles reveals that the team has reopened negotiations with Netflix. Originally set to stream after eight weeks, Kamal’s camp is now reportedly trying to push for an earlier release, in exchange for a better deal.

But sources suggest Netflix is approaching the situation cautiously. Given the poor reviews, lukewarm word-of-mouth, and underwhelming ticket sales, the platform may not be willing to increase their payout.

While a handful of multiplexes are still screening the film, the momentum is nearly lost. For a film billed as a career milestone for both Haasan and Mani Ratnam, this turn of events is nothing short of disastrous.