IndieWire can exclusively reveal that stars N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan are set to join writer-director S.S. Rajamouli and composer M.M. Keeravaani at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles for a special IMAX screening event of “RRR” on Monday, January 9. Variance Films, Beyond Fest, and American Cinematheque jointly announce the presentation, which finds the film’s leads, director, and composer taking the stage together in North America for the first time. India opted to submit “Chhello Show” over breakthrough Indian Telugu-language action-adventure epic “RRR” as its representative for the 2023 Best International Feature Oscar — more on that here — but no matter: The awards-season journey for “RRR” is just beginning. The film will receive Best Director from the New York Film Critics Circle next week, and the following week, “RRR” will vie for Best Motion Picture in a Non-English Language at the Golden Globes, where Rajamouli and the film’s two leads will be in attendance. At the Globes, “RRR” is also up for Keeravaani’s Best Original Song “Naatu Naatu,” with lyrics by Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj.
The TCL Chinese screening will include a post-screening discussion with the team. After its initial worldwide release in March, “RRR” was re-released to U.S. theaters on June 1, 2022, for what was originally a “last chance” one-night-only event, now in its 30th consecutive week on screens. The epic has grossed well over $100 million globally and is currently streaming on Netflix. “The first screening of ‘RRR’ at the Chinese Theatre left a footprint on the L.A. film community,” said Grant Moninger, director of programming and creative at the American Cinematheque. “This ultimate screening of ‘RRR’ will no doubt set a new benchmark for which the theatrical experience can be judged.” “RRR” also scored five Critics Choice Awards nominations (Best Picture, Director, Song, Foreign Language Film, and Visual Effects) and has shown up on myriad best of lists. “I think the great thing about movie theaters is the collective high that a great movie can give the right audience, and I have never, ever felt anything like what happened in the room at our last screening of ‘RRR’ at the Chinese, and this is going to blow that out of the water,” said Dylan Marchetti, president of Variance Films, which distributed the film stateside this year. “If you love movies, if you love movie theaters, if you chase that collective high, you should move mountains to be there with us for this.” Tickets will be sold exclusively through the American Cinematheque’s ticketing site starting January 4 at 12 p.m. PT. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
