After Exiting Hera Pheri 3, Priyadarshan To Reunite With Akshay For A Comedy Thriller

After confirming that he has stepped away from directing Hera Pheri 3, filmmaker Priyadarshan has now given fans another reason to be excited. Although he is no longer associated with the much-awaited comedy franchise, the veteran director is set to reunite with Akshay Kumar for a brand-new project.

According to a report by Mid-Day, Priyadarshan has locked his next film with Akshay Kumar in the lead. The upcoming venture is said to be a comedy thriller and will be produced by Tips. The report further states that the film is expected to go on floors by the end of this year, marking yet another collaboration between the celebrated director-actor duo.

Akshay Kumar & Priyadarshan's Ninth Collaboration For This Comedy Thriller

Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar, who most recently collaborated on Bhooth Bangla, are now preparing for the release of Haiwaan, which is scheduled to arrive in cinemas this September. Although the filmmaker was initially expected to helm Hera Pheri 3, he has since stepped away from the project. His exit, however, has paved the way for yet another collaboration with Akshay Kumar.

According to a Mid-Day

report, the duo's next venture will be a comedy thriller based on a story written by Priyadarshan. A source told the publication, “Priyadarshan has written the story, which is a combination of fun and thrills. The film will roll by the year-end, most likely in December. Akki and he are excited about the project because though he has attempted comedies and thrillers in the past, he feels this belongs to a genre that he hasn’t attempted before. He will develop the screenplay with Rohan Shankar, who also worked on Bhooth Bangla

.”

Earlier, Priyadarshan was reportedly expected to spend the latter half of 2026 directing a dramedy featuring Pankaj Tripathi, followed by another project with Mohanlal. Both films have now been deferred to next year, with the Akshay Kumar-led comedy thriller taking priority and reportedly scheduled to go on floors in December 2026.

Confirming the development, Priyadarshan told Mid-Day