RRR Director's First Franchise Has A Spider-Verse-Style Spin-Off, And It Looks Incredible

Three years after director S.S. Rajamouli brought the spectacle and drama of "RRR" to American shores and the hallowed halls of the Academy Awards themselves, the Indian filmmaker is set to do it all over again — this time, through his new franchise that has already taken the world by storm. As we've written about on /Film before, his two-part "Baahubali" movies represent some of the most epic-sized storytelling that international cinema has to offer. Years before he perfected his craft with "RRR," Rajamouli had already distilled his talents for myth-making and awe with this saga about a man named Mahendra Baahubali (played by Indian star and powerhouse Prabhas) raised in total anonymity, until he learns of his true lineage as a prince destined for greatness.

Both Telugu-language blockbusters would go on to — without exaggeration — reshape the face of the Indian filmmaking industry as a whole, but even that success may pale in comparison to what's next for the "Baahubali" franchise. Word recently broke of a spin-off film based on the popular movies, as Rajamouli took it upon himself to re-edit and re-release both halves of "Baahubali" into one gargantuan-sized reimagining appropriately titled "Baahubali: The Epic." (Even cooler, he debuted a teaser for the spin-off during the intermissions for screenings of "The Epic.") This continuation will take the narrative out of live-action and into the realm of animation with a new film titled "The Eternal War" ... and it looks every bit as stunning and game-changing as the prior installments.

Billed as the first of another two-part adventure, "Baahubali: The Eternal War — Part 1" genuinely needs to be seen to be believed. Luckily, studio Arka MediaWorks released a new trailer that puts all the breathtaking visuals and actions on display. Check it out above!

Hear that? That's the sound of every movie fan within the range of this trailer collectively picking up their jaws from off the ground. Like Netflix's "Love, Death & Robots" series or Sony's "Spider-Verse" films, "Baahubali: The Eternal War" seems destined to revolutionize the medium of animation. Coupled with the unbridled imagination and grandiose sense of flair that can only be found in Indian filmmaking, well, it's not exactly a leap to say that this film could end up making a similar "RRR"-sized impact on Western moviegoers at large.

Produced by S.S. Rajamouli, "Baahubali: The Eternal War" comes from director Ishan Shukla (best known for writing and directing a season 2 episode of the animated anthology series "Star Wars: Visions" titled "The Bandits of Golak") and written by Scott Mosier. If that latter name sounds familiar, that's because you likely know him as the producer behind several Kevin Smith films and the co-director of 2018's animated "The Grinch." Of course, Prabhas returns to reprise his original role as Baahubali, along with Ramya Krishna as Sivagami. Although he won't be returning to the director's chair this time around, Rajamouli had this to say about the prospects of this upcoming spin-off film and its planned second half in an official statement:

"When Ishan brought us the idea of expanding the 'Baahubali' universe into a stylized animated epic, it clicked instantly. It feels like a seamless, organic extension of the world we built, one that will thrill long‑time fans and invite new audiences in. I am excited to bring these two films to the big screen."

"The Eternal War" is set to be released sometime in 2027, and we can't wait.