# L2: Empuraan

L2: Empuraan , name derived from the combination of the word emperor and malayalam word thampuran (meaning feudal Lord), is an upcoming Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, written by Murali Gopy and jointly produced by Aashirvad Cinemas, Sree Gokulam Movies. The second instalment in a planned trilogy, it is a follow-up to the 2019 film Lucifer. The film stars Mohanlal, alongside an ensemble cast consisting of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas, Indrajith Sukumaran, Manju Warrier, Abhimanyu Singh, Jerome Flynn, Eriq Ebouaney, and Suraj Venjaramoodu.
Lucifer was originally conceived as a three-part film from its inception. The first part was made into the film Lucifer. The success of the first film led to the decision to proceed with the second instalment in the series. Empuraan 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 Empuraan. The screenplay was finalised in July 2022, and pre-production began the following month. Lyca Productions announced their involvement in the production of the project in September 2023, marking their maiden production in Malayalam cinema. In March 2025, Sree Gokulam Movies announced their involvement in the film as co-producers. The film's soundtrack was composed by Deepak Dev.
Principal photography began on 5 October 2023, in Faridabad. Subsequent sporadic schedules commenced in various locations, including Shimla, Leh, the United Kingdom, the United States, Chennai, Gujarat, Hyderabad, the United Arab Emirates, Mumbai, and Kerala. Empuraan is scheduled to be released in theatres worldwide on 27 March 2025 in standard and IMAX formats, making it the first Malayalam film to be released in IMAX.

## Cast

* Mohanlal as Khureshi Ab'raam / Stephen Nedumpally
* Prithviraj Sukumaran as Zayed Masood
** Karthikeya Dev as young Zayed
* Tovino Thomas as Jathin Ramdas
* Indrajith Sukumaran as Govardhan
* Manju Warrier as Priyadarshini Ramdas
* Abhimanyu Singh as Balraj
* Eriq Ebouaney as Kabuga
* Jerome Flynn as Boris Oliver
* Andrea Tivadar as Michele Menuhin
* Suraj Venjaramoodu as Sajanachandran
* Kishore as Karthik
* Saikumar as Mahesha Varma
* Baiju Santhosh as Murugan
* Fazil as Father Nedumpally
* Sachin Khedekar as P. K. Ramdas
* Saniya Iyappan as Jhanvi
* Nyla Usha as Arundathi Sanjeev
* Giju John as Sanjeev Kumar
* Nandhu as P. S. Peethambaran
* Shivaji Guruvayoor as Medayil Rajan
* Manikuttan as Mani
* Aneesh G. Menon as Sumesh
* Sshivada as Sreelekha
* Alexx O'Nell as Robert McCarthy
* Satyajit Sharma as Masood
* Shubhangi Latkar as Bahija Begum
* Nikhat Khan as Subhadra Ben
* Jaise Jose as Xavier
* Murugan Martin as Muthu
* Sukant Goel as Munna
* Behzaad Khan as Salabath Hamza
* Nayan Bhatt as Suraiya Bibi
* Aishwarya Ohja as Haniya
* Oziel Jivani as Zaheer Masood
* Mikhail Novikov as Sergei Leonov

## Production
### Development

No official announcement of a follow-up was made for Lucifer (2019), despite its open ending. The possibility of a continuation was confirmed by writer Murali Gopy in an interview in April 2019, shortly after the release of Lucifer. He clarified that "Lucifer is definitely designed as a franchise, and it is very evident from its structure and progression." The official announcement of a second film and its title took place during a press conference on 18 June 2019. Shedding light on the meaning of the title, Prithviraj Sukumaran said that Empuraan signifies "someone who is more than a king, but less than a god," with a more literal translation being "overlord". Murali revealed that Lucifer was conceived as a series right from its inception. The success of the first film gave them confidence to proceed with Empuraan, said Prithviraj. Production was planned to commence in the second half of 2020.
In September 2019, Prithviraj further revealed that Empuraan is part of a three-film series. The trilogy was originally envisioned as a three-season web series, the first season was transformed into the film Lucifer, while the second and third seasons were adapted for the subsequent instalments. Prithviraj clarified that Empuraan does not continue the story of Lucifer but rather delves into the events that occurred before and after it, and that they have built "a franchise structure that visits every aspect of the story". Murali hinted that Empuraan would unveil more layers of the narrative.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to the postponement of the production. In September 2020, Murali presented a comprehensive design brief of Empuraan to Prithviraj, who stated that it assisted him in visualising an edited and colour-corrected version of the film. Pre-production, that was set to begin in 2021, was again delayed due to the pandemic. In the meantime, Prithviraj directed another film, Bro Daddy (2022), in the third quarter of 2021. In October 2021, Prithviraj disclosed that they were still waiting for the pandemic situation to subside, as they could not proceed with location scouting under that situation and expressed hope to start filming by mid-2022.
In 2022, Murali revealed plans to "scale up the magnitude and scope" of Empuraan. He was in the process of writing the screenplay in May 2022, which he completed that month. In July, Prithviraj announced the completion of Empuraan's final script and informed lead actor Mohanlal and producer Antony Perumbavoor. The following month, the team officially announced through social media that they had entered the pre-production phase, "we are starting the actual process of making the film from today (17 August 2022)", wrote Prithviraj. Murali categorised Empuraan as a second instalment rather than a sequel. Prithviraj described the film as a "commercial entertainer". In September 2023, the Tamil film production company Lyca Productions announced their involvement in the production of Empuraan, marking their debut in Malayalam cinema, along with Aashirvad Cinemas, the producer of Lucifer. Additionally, Prithviraj's company Prithviraj Productions is credited for "project design". In March 2025, Sree Gokulam Movies joined the project as production partner due to Lyca Productions potential withdrawal due to financial disputes.

### Casting

Mohanlal reprises his role of Stephen Nedumpally / Khureshi Ab'raam. During the film's announcement, it was revealed that Prithviraj's character Zayed Masood would have more prominence in Empuraan. Prithviraj said that Zayed's role in Stephen's life is bigger than what was shown in Lucifer. In February 2020, Tovino Thomas confirmed his involvement in the project. In February 2023, Baiju Santhosh confirmed that he would reprise his role as Murugan. Manju Warrier, Indrajith Sukumaran, Saikumar, Fazil and Sachin Khedekar were also confirmed to reprise their respective roles. In May 2023, Suraj Venjaramoodu was signed to play a pivotal role. In October, Saniya Iyappan was confirmed to reprise her role as Jhanvi, despite her earlier decision to take a break to pursue a bachelor's degree in acting. Adil Ibrahim and Sunil Sukhada confirmed that they would not be reprising their roles from the first film.

### Filming

Following a six-month-long location scouting process in India, which concluded in February 2023, the film crew embarked on a recce across several international locations. Principal photography was originally scheduled to commence on 15 August, however, it was postponed after Prithviraj sustained an injury on the sets of Vilayath Buddha. Production eventually began with a customary muhurtam shot on 5 October in Faridabad on the outskirts of Delhi and Haryana. It primarily featured foreign actors and extras. Filming was moved to Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, following a day of shooting in Faridabad. Filming also took place in Leh, Ladakh. The first schedule was completed in Ladakh on 28 October.
The crew began location scouting in the United Kingdom in November 2023. The second schedule started in the UK in January 2024 and concluded later that month. In late February, filming shifted to the United States, covering various locations including New York, New Mexico, Louisiana, San Francisco, and Atlanta. This schedule featured the principal cast members, Mohanlal, Tovino, Prithviraj, and Indrajith, and continued until the second week of March. By this time, approximately 20 percent of the film had been completed. The subsequent phase of production began in April on specially constructed sets in Chennai, concluding within the same month. This phase involved Mohanlal, Tovino, Warrier, and Saniya.
By May, the production had moved to Thiruvananthapuram, where scenes were filmed at two schools with the participation of 2,000 extras, along with cast members Warrier, Suraj, Saikumar, Baiju, and Nandhu. In June, the crew filmed in Kochi, before relocating to Gujarat by mid-June for the longest schedule of the production. The Gujarat schedule included scenes depicting Zayed’s younger years, with Mohanlal joining the shoot. Filming took place at a palace and on custom-built sets, covering both past and present timelines. However, heavy downpour caused delays. Production resumed in Rajkot during the fourth week of September. The team shifted to Hyderabad in October for a brief schedule, reportedly at Ramoji Film City.
Later in October, the production team returned to Thiruvananthapuram. Filming was held at Kanakakkunnu Palace, The Leela Kovalam, Adimalathura Beach, and Pallippuram. This phase concluded within the same month. Additional scenes were shot in places such as Thammanam, Kuttikkanam, and Vandiperiyar during October. In November, the production moved to the United Arab Emirates and Mumbai before returning to Kerala to film in Ernakulam, Chalakudy, and Palakkad. Filming was wrapped on 1 December 2024, on the banks of the Malampuzha Reservoir, marking the conclusion of 14 months of production.
Empuraan was filmed using the anamorphic format with a 2.8:1 aspect ratio, ensuring visual consistency with the first film. Prithviraj confirmed the third installment will follow the same approach. He mostly utilised practical effects for the action sequences. The fight sequences were choreographed by Stunt Silva. Sujith Vaassudev and Mohandas were retained as the cinematographer and art director, respectively. Nirmal Sahadev served as the film's creative director. Suresh Balaje and George Pius of Wide Angle Creations served as the film's line producers.

## Music

The film's music is composed by Deepak Dev, who composed the soundtrack for Lucifer. In March 2023, Dev revealed that he had already started the music work for Empuraan.

## Marketing

Within a week of wrapping production, the team confirmed that the first cut was finished and that post-production was progressing at a brisk pace. The release date was announced on Kerala Piravi with a poster featuring a mysterious figure dressed in white and adorned with a red Dragon, which sparked widespread discussion among fans regarding the identity and background of the character. Birthday posters were released for Mohanlal as Khureshi Abraam, Prithviraj as Zayed Masood and Indrajith as Govardhan, the latter two characters reportedly having more prominent screen presence with regards to the first instalment. The film's teaser was released on 26 January 2025 in Kochi, coinciding with the Indian Republic Day. The film's trailer was released on 19 March 2025.
Similarly to Lucifer, an 18-day character reveal campaign revealing the 36 principal cast members was launched as part of the film's promotional strategy. The campaign began on 9 February 2025 and concluded on 28 February 2025.

## Release
### Theatrical

In November 2022, while the film was in pre-production, Prithviraj stated that they have not decided on a release date for the film. Beside its original release in Malayalam, the film would be released in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi languages. The film is also marketed with the short title L2E by the makers and is slated for theatrical release worldwide on 27 March 2025, coinciding the sixth year anniversary of Lucifer. It is also set to be the first Malayalam film to have an IMAX release.

### Distribution

AA Films acquired the distribution rights for North India. Dil Raju acquired the distribution rights for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana under his banner Sri Venkateswara Creations. Hombale Films acquired the distribution rights for Karnataka. Sree Gokulam Movies will distribute the film in Tamil Nadu through its own distribution network.
The overseas rights for the film, excluding the GCC and USA, have been acquired by Cyber Systems Australia, while Phars Film will distribute the film in the GCC region. Aashirvad Hollywood and Prime Media will distribute the film in the USA. RFT Entertainment acquired the distribution rights in the UK and Europe.

## Future

As announced by the team, Lucifer is a trilogy, implying the existence of a third film as a continuation of the series. During a September 2019 event, Prithviraj mentioned that the third film will explore a much darker theme in the series. In January 2025, while talking about the cinematographic techniques used in Empuraan, Prithviraj confirmed that the same would be used in the third film as well.