Maddock Horror Comedy Universe

Maddock Horror Comedy Universe is an Indian shared universe consisting of Hindi-language supernatural comedy horror films created by Maddock Films. All films in this universe are based on Indian folklore. The first installment, '' Stree,'' was released as a standalone film. The universe-building began with '' Bhediya'', in which characters from ''Stree'' appeared. This was followed by '' Munjya'', where characters from ''Bhediya'' and ''Stree'' appeared. ''Stree 2'' continued by featuring characters from ''Bhediya'', making ''Stree'' and ''Bhediya'' the central links connecting all three films.

Films

''Stree''

The first installment of the franchise is directed by Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Raj & DK. It stars Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor, alongside Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee. The plot is inspired by the urban legend Nale Ba, which means "come tomorrow" in Kannada, adapted in the film as "O Stree Kal Aana" (oh woman, come tomorrow) in the film.
''Stree'' was theatrically released worldwide on 31 August 2018 and received positive reviews. The film grossed over ₹180 crore at the box office against a budget of ₹23–25 crore, becoming a box-office success. The film received ten nominations at the 64th Filmfare Awards and won Best Debut Director for Kaushik.

''Bhediya''

The second installment was directed by Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Mrighdeep Singh Lamba. The film stars Varun Dhawan alongside Kriti Sanon, Abhishek Banerjee, Deepak Dobriyal and Paalin Kabak. The plot is inspired by an Arunachal Pradesh legend about a shape-shifting werewolf who kills to protect the jungle. Additionally, characters from ''Stree'' appeared in the film, including cameo appearances by Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao and Aparshakti Khurana. Abhishek Banerjee reprises his role as Jana (Janardan), Bhaskar's cousin. ''Bhediya'' was theatrically released on 25 November 2022, garnering positive reviews. The film grossed about ₹90 crore against a production budget of approximately ₹60 crore at the box office. It received 13 nominations at the 68th Filmfare Awards, including Best Film (Critics), Best Actor (Critics) and Best Special Effects.

''Munjya''

The third installment was directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Amar Kaushik. The film stars Sharvari, Abhay Verma, Sathyaraj and Mona Singh. The titular character was created using CGI. Additionally, characters from '' Bhediya'' made cameo appearances in the film, including Varun Dhawan and Abhishek Banerjee. The film is based on folklore from Konkan that depicts a mischievous spirit named Munjya from Marathi tradition, which haunts peepal trees or wells. This spirit arises when a man dies unmarried between his thread ceremony and marriage ritual and often causes disturbances to fulfil his unfulfilled desires. ''Munjya'' was theatrically released on 7 June 2024, garnering mixed reviews. The film grossed over ₹132 crore worldwide against a production budget of ₹30 crore and became one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2024.

''Stree 2''

The fourth installment and direct sequel to ''Stree'' was directed by Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Jyoti Deshpande. The film stars Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana. The story follows the events after ''Stree'', where the small town of Chanderi is haunted by a beheaded creature, "Sarkata", who is abducting women. ''Stree 2'' was theatrically released on 15 August 2024. The film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed over ₹874.8 crore at the box office against a production budget of ₹50–120 crore.

Upcoming films

''Thama'' (2025)

The fifth installment in the franchise, titled '' Thama'', was announced on October 30, 2024. The film, centers around a vampire storyline and stars Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead role as Thama, a man-turned-vampire. The cast also includes Rashmika Mandanna, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Paresh Rawal and Suniel Shetty. The film is directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Amar Kaushik, with a planned release date for 15 August 2025 on festival Independence Day. Filming began on 12 December 2024. Varun Dhawan will appear in a cameo appearance portraying his character from Bhediya 2 as reported in March 2025. Filming wrapped up on 25 may with only 2 songs remaining.Aditya Sarpotdar confirmed that Thama is not a horror-comedy unlike other films coming out of the Maddock Supernatural Universe. "It is a romantic film with certain supernatural elements backing it," the director confirmed in an interview with Zoom. He insisted that the movie is mainly comedy with romance being the central theme. The director also shared that it was a decision taken since the Maddock Supernatural Universe delivered enough horror-comedies in the recent past (Stree, Bhediya and Munjya).

''Shakti Shalini'' (2025)

The sixth installment in the franchise, it will be directed by Ajitpal Singh and will star Kiara Advani in the lead role. The film was scheduled to releasing soon but got delayed due to Advani's pregnancy.

''Bhediya 2'' (2026)

The seventh installment and a sequel to ''Bhediya'', titled ''Bhediya 2'', is in the pipeline, with Amar Kaushik returning as the director and Varun Dhawan. reprising his role. While the project has been officially announced, the makers are still in the pre-production phase, and principal photography has not yet started. The film is set to releasing soon, a day before Independence Day. Actress Kriti Sanon might reprise her role as Dr. Anika as she had earlier appeared in ''Bhediya'' as Bhediya.

''Chamunda'' (2026)

The eighth installment in the franchise. It will star Alia Bhatt in a lead role. It is scheduled to releasing soon.

''Stree 3'' (2027)

The ninth installment in the franchise and a sequel to ''Stree 2''. The film will feature Akshay Kumar as the main antagonist, reprising his role from his appearance as last living descendant of Chandrabhan (popular as 'Sarkata') in ''Stree 2''. He had an unknown hatred against his own family which will be known in "Stree 3". Producer Dinesh Vijan confirmed that ''Stree 3'' was already written. Director Amar Kaushik mentioned it would take three years to produce.

''Maha Munjya'' (2027)

The tenth installment in the franchise and a sequel to ''Munjya''. Abhay Verma and Sharvari will be reprising their roles as Bittu and Bela respectively. The film is scheduled to releasing soon.

''Pehla Mahayudh'' (2028)

The eleventh installment in the franchise, ''Pehla Mahayudh'', will serve as the first part of the two-part finale for the current phase of the franchise. The story will continue and conclude in the twelfth installment, titled ''Doosara Mahayudh'', releasing later in the same year. ''Pehla Mahayudh'' will feature characters from all previous films in the franchise and is scheduled to releasing soon.
Makers Dinesh Vijan, Jyoti Deshpande and director Amar Kaushik confirmed that Akshay Kumar will lead both the parts as Chandravanshi (descendant of Chanderi Chief Chandrabhan Sarkata) with several stars from previous installments will be pitted against him

''Doosara Mahayudh'' (2028)

The twelfth installment in the franchise, ''Doosara Mahayudh'', will serve as the conclusion to the two-part finale of the current phase of the franchise. Picking up directly from the events of ''Pehla Mahayudh'', the film will bring together characters from all previous installments for a climactic showdown. ''Doosara Mahayudh'' is scheduled to releasing soon.

Characters

This table lists the characters connected across the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe.

Crew and personnel

Reception

Box office performance

Critical reception

See also

*Cop Universe
* Hera Pheri (film series)
*Don (franchise)
* ''Dhoom'' (franchise)
*Housefull (film series)
* ''Race'' (film series)
*YRF Spy Universe

Notes

References

External links

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{{Amar Kaushik

Film series introduced in 2018
Indian film series
Horror film franchises
Fictional universes
Films based on Indian folklore
Indian supernatural horror films
Indian comedy horror films
Shared universes
Indian shared universes