Reports say the film will have around 720 shows in Kerala on its opening day, the highest for a non-Malayalam film.
Published Aug 28, 2024 | 1:29 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 28, 2024 | 1:32 PM
'GOAT' runtime extended by 5 minutes after re-censorship. (X)
Tamil star hero Vijay’s upcoming action thriller, The Greatest of All Time (GOAT), is set to hit the theatres on 5 September amid huge expectations. The most-hyped Tamil film, which initially locked its runtime at 2 hours and 59 minutes, has now undergone a rare re-censorship by the Central Board of Film Certification.
Following a re-censorship, the Censor Board added another five minutes of new footage to GOAT, extending the final runtime to three hours, three minutes and 14 seconds, to be precise. This makes GOAT the second-longest film in Vijay’s career. His 2012 buddy comedy-drama Nanban ran for three hours and eight minutes.
This extended runtime is quite unusual for action movies like GOAT, which usually run for less than two hours and 30 minutes. The decision to add more footage to the movie only suggests that Vijay, director Venkat Prabhu, and the entire team are confident about their project.
Meanwhile, Sree Gokulam Movies, which acquired the Kerala distribution rights for GOAT, announced that the first-day first-shows will begin at 4 am across the theatres in the state on 5 September. Reports also say the film will have around 720 shows on its opening day, the highest for a non-Malayalam film.
The Vijay-starrer evoked high anticipation among Malayalee audiences too. Indeed, Vijay’s Leo (2024) did a roaring business in Kerala by earning over ₹60 crore in 32 days. Leo is Vijay’s highest-grossing film in Kerala and the third-highest-grossing Tamil film in the state, following Jailer (2023) and Vikram (2022).
Sree Gokulam Movies distributed this film in Kerala. And now, GOAT is expected to break the record set by Leo.
Thanks to @Ags_production for granting the 4 am screening in Kerala
Get ready for #Thalapathy @actorvijay Darshanam on Sept- 5#GOATFDFS@vp_offl@archanakalpathi@thisisysr@aishkalpathi@GokulamMovies@GokulamGopalan@srkrishnamoorty@DreamBig_film_s#TheGreatestOfAllTime pic.twitter.com/9BYyMRfh9Y
— SreeGokulamMovies (@GokulamMovies) August 27, 2024
In GOAT, Vijay plays dual roles as father and son. The film has a star-studded cast, including Meenakshi Chaudhary, Prasanth, Prabhudheva, Laila, Jayaram, Sneha, and Ajmal Ameer.
This ambitious venture is being produced by AGS Entertainment, with music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja.
GOAT was recently censored with a U/A certificate, as announced by director Venkat Prabhu on his social media. While announcing the censorship details, the filmmaker also shared a picture of Vijay holding a machine gun, adding to fans’ curiosity about this action-packed entertainer.
Earlier, the makers of GOAT released the much-awaited trailer, which showcased Vijay as Gandhi, a skilled spy and hostage negotiator. The trailer, filled with high-octane action sequences, impressive CGI, and stunts performed by Vijay, quickly gained popularity. It crossed 50 million views within 24 hours of its launch.
The GOAT trailer also introduced key characters played by Sneha, Laila, Prasanth, Prabhudheva, Jayaram, and others. Notably, the film uses de-aging technology to present a younger version of Vijay. It also showcases the AI-generated late actor-politician Vijayakanth.
GOAT is directed by Venkat Prabhu, with cinematography by Siddhartha Nuni, editing by Venkat Raajen, and stunts choreographed by Dhilip Subbarayan.
The Vijay-starrer will hit the screens in standard and IMAX formats. It will also be released in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi dubbed versions. Netflix grabbed its digital streaming rights in all languages. The satellite rights for GOAT are with Zee Tamil.
(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)
