Repeated reports about the shoot cancellations of Welcome To The Jungle, popularly referred to as Welcome 3, have made the fans restless. The ‘Welcome’ franchise fans have been expecting the third installment for over a decade. After the success of the second installment, ‘Welcome Back(2015)’, Akshay Kumar announced the star-studded cast of Welcome 3 on his 56th birthday in 2023, getting the fans excited. But continuous reports about the halt of the shoot over the past 6 months have made both the actors and the fans restive. Finally, there is a huge update about the film shared by an insider.
Shootings Suspended
Shooting schedules for the film have been suspended for two to three sessions. Reports indicate that the cancellation of these schedules over the past six months has left the ensemble cast frustrated and confused. Some actors have even exited the project due to the inconsistencies in the shooting timetable and the uncertainty surrounding the film's status. While some sources suggested that financial difficulties were causing the delays, a source close to the industry has confirmed that this is not the case.
The reason for the halt
As per reports, the shooting of the film has temporarily been paused and is expected to resume soon after the monsoon. The reason for the long pause in the shooting is because of the ‘non-payment of dues to the actors and their staff’. But, recently, a report unveiled the real reason behind the unevenness in shooting schedules,
“70% of the shoot of ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ is already done. The remaining 30% was to be scheduled in Kashmir, but because of the unfortunate Pahalgam attack, the plan got pushed,” revealed the source as quoted by a news portal.
As per his statement, the unexpected pause is not because of financial issues but because of its shooting locale. The insider further reassured that the project is firmly back on track with its final schedule covering up the 30% at a different location.
“Everything is on track. All 34 actors are excited to commence the last marathon schedule and will begin post-rains at a different location,” he said.
Star-studded Cast
The massive star cast of the third installment, unveiled by Akshay Kumar on his 56th birthday in 2023, includes Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Anil Kapoor, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Raveena Tandon, Jacqueline Fernandez, Dish Patani, Lara Dutta, and more. The multi-starrer comedy was initially slated for release on Christmas this year. But due to multiple, unavoidable obstacles, the release was delayed.
When to expect the premiere?
Despite facing several unavoidable challenges during production, fans can still look forward to the movie's release this year. Currently, only 30% of the shooting remains to be scheduled, while 70% has already been completed. However, since the post-production process can be time-consuming, no official release date has been announced yet. Given these delays, the film is now anticipated to release in the first half of next year.