L2: Empuraan

L2: Empuraan is a 2025 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, written by Murali Gopy and jointly produced by Antony Perumbavoor, Subaskaran Allirajah and Gokulam Gopalan through Aashirvad Cinemas, Lyca Productions and Sree Gokulam Movies. It is the sequel to the Lucifer (2019) and also the second installment in the Lucifer Franchise, starring Mohanlal in the lead role, along with an ensemble cast consisting of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Indrajith Sukumaran, Abhimanyu Singh, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Jerome Flynn, Andrea Tivadar, Eriq Ebouaney and Kishore while Rick Yune and Pranav Mohanlal make cameo appearances. The film follows an international criminal Khureshi-Ab'raam, who seeks to return to Kerala after the state is threatened by a right-wing extremist Balraj Patel, alias Baba Bajrangi, while also extending his influence in the global geopolitics. Lucifer was conceived as a three-part film series from the outset. The first film's success led to the decision to proceed with the second in the series. It was announced in June 2019, and production, originally planned for mid-2020, faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Murali took the opportunity to expand the scale and scope of the film. The screenplay was finalised in July 2022, and pre-production began the next month. Lyca joined in September 2023, and in March 2025, Gopalan joined as a co-producer, following financial disputes with Lyca. Deepak Dev composed the original soundtrack and the background score. Principal photography took place from October 2023 to December 2024, spanning 145 days across sporadic schedules in India, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates. Made on a ₹150–175 crore budget, L2: Empuraan was released in theatres on 27 March 2025 in standard, IMAX, EPIQ formats and being the first Malayalam movie to release on IMAX. It is the most expensive Malayalam film to date. Upon release, it received mixed reviews from critics. However, L2: Empuraan was the first Malayalam film to cross ₹250 crore (grossed over ₹268 –325 crore) and one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films and tenth highest-grossing Indian film of 2025.