Kannada Star Upendra Joins Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl as Sequel Targets Seven-Language 2027 Release
Kannada cinema star Upendra has joined the cast of Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl, stepping into what producer People Media Factory calls a powerhouse role in the sequel to the 2021 Telugu zombie thriller (Variety).
The announcement landed on 23 August 2026, chosen to coincide with the birthday of Teja Sajja, who returns as the franchise's zombie-slaying lead (Variety). A Pinkvilla report on 22 August had flagged that the sequel's official unveiling would fall on that date (Pinkvilla).
The original Zombie Reddy, directed by Prasanth Varma in 2021, followed a game developer forced to save his village after a scientist's vaccine experiment triggers a zombie outbreak. Prasanth Varma returns for the sequel as story creator, while Suparn S. Varma takes the director's chair. Suparn S. Varma's credits include Prime Video's The Family Man Season 2, Netflix's Rana Naidu, and the film Haq — a resume spanning streaming thrillers and independent cinema. The screenplay is credited to Hussain Dalal, Prasanth Varma and Suparn S. Varma.
Shanaya Kapoor, known for the upcoming Tu Yaa Main, makes her South Indian cinema debut in the film. Gowra Hari, whose scores powered HanuMan and Mirai, composes the music. T.G. Vishwa Prasad and Krithi Prasad produce for People Media Factory, the Hyderabad-based banner that has been a prolific backer of Telugu-language productions.
The scale is wide: Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl is set to release in seven languages — Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Nepali and Japanese — with a planned 2027 arrival. A multi-language release of that breadth signals the producers' intent to reach beyond the domestic Indian market — domestic here meaning India itself, where a film typically opens across its home-language states before travelling to dubbed versions.
Teja Sajja has said publicly that the sequel will outdo the original and is being developed as an entertainer packed with special effects (Deccan Chronicle). That comment, made in early July, gave audiences an early signal of the ambition behind the project before the full cast and creative team were confirmed.
For fans of the franchise, the combination of a new director with streaming pedigree, a story from the original film-maker, and a cast expanded to include Upendra and Shanaya Kapoor suggests the sequel is built on a broader canvas than its predecessor. The seven-language plan and 2027 target give the production roughly a year and a half to deliver on that promise.
