Theatrical Releases This Week: From ‘Toxic’ To ‘The Dog Stars’

The theatrical slate this week cuts across languages, genres and scales, with some of the country’s biggest stars sharing space with debutants and distinctly regional stories. Yash returns with “Toxic,” Ridley Scott brings “The Dog Stars” to screens, while films including “Once More,” “Karathey Babu,” “Bhogi,” “Jeevan Bheema Yojana” and “Mahaprabhu Jagannath” offer audiences everything from romance and political action to mythology and survival thrillers.

HINDI 

Mahaprabhu Jagannath 

Release date: August 28, 2026. 

Shripad Warkhedkar’s animated mythological adventure follows Mahaprabhu Jagannath, Balaram and Garud as they confront the asura Aham, who traps devotees and divine beings in a mysterious mercury world. Featuring voice performances by Prachi Save Saathi, Sonal Kaushal and Aditya Raj Sharma, the Hindi-Odia film combines mythology, fantasy and family entertainment. Its release also follows a Supreme Court order allowing it after the Rath Yatra.

ENGLISH 

Tony 

Release date: August 28, 2026. 

Matt Johnson’s “Tony” traces the formative years of Anthony Bourdain, with Dominic Sessa playing the young future chef and writer alongside Antonio Banderas, Emilia Jones and Leo Woodall. Set in 1975, the film follows 19-year-old Bourdain as he lands in a chaotic Provincetown restaurant kitchen, setting him on a path toward the life that made him a cultural icon.

The Dog Stars 

Release date: August 28, 2026. 

Ridley Scott returns to science fiction with this adaptation of Peter Heller’s post-apocalyptic novel. Jacob Elordi plays Hig, a pandemic survivor living at an abandoned Colorado airport with his dog and ex-military companion, played by Josh Brolin, before a mysterious radio transmission changes their isolated existence. Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce and Allison Janney also star.

It Ends 

Release date: August 28, 2026.  

Written and directed by Alexander Ullom in his feature debut, “It Ends” follows four friends — played by Mitchell Cole, Akira Jackson, Noah Toth and Phinehas Yoon — who become trapped on an endless country road where stopping for more than 90 seconds brings mysterious, zombie-like figures after them. Its surreal horror premise doubles as a metaphor for post-college anxiety, stagnation and existential dread.

GUJARATI 

Tom & Cherry 

Release date: August 28, 2026. 

Dharmesh S. Mehta’s Gujarati comedy-drama stars Siddharth Randeria, Dhanya Doshi, Anurag Prapanna and Kushal Mistry. When a young boy disappears after fleeing a troubled home, a mysterious stranger named Cherry becomes a prime suspect in his disappearance. The mix of family emotion, humour and a mystery gives this one a distinctly crowd-friendly theatrical appeal.

TAMIL 

Once More 

Release date: August 28, 2026. 

Debutant Vignesh Srikanth writes and directs this romantic drama starring Arjun Das and Aditi Shankar. The film follows two people with contrasting personalities and backgrounds whose worlds collide as they fall in love. With Hesham Abdul Wahab composing the music, “Once More” looks to bring a musical, bittersweet flavour to a familiar story of love, healing and second chances.

Karathey Babu 

Release date: August 28, 2026. 

Ganesh K. Babu’s political action thriller stars Ravi Mohan, Nassar, K.S. Ravikumar, VTV Ganesh and Shakthi Vasudevan. The film is set against a political backdrop, with its teaser pointing toward a story involving power, governance and the pressures within the system. Ravi Mohan’s political avatar and the ensemble cast make this an intriguing action-drama proposition.

Hi 

Release date: August 28, 2026. 

Vishnu Edavan makes his directorial debut with this romantic drama starring Kavin and Nayanthara, alongside Prabhu, Radhikaa Sarathkumar, K. Bhagyaraj and VTV Ganesh. Two neighbours with very different ideas about love find themselves drawn into an unexpected relationship. The unusual pairing and a romance built around everyday connections give “Hi” a fresh, contemporary hook.

TELUGU 

Bhogi 

Release date: August 28, 2026. 

Sampath Nandi’s period action drama stars Sharwanand, Anupama Parameswaran and Dimple Hayathi. Set along the North Telangana–Maharashtra border in the late 1960s, the film unfolds in a world shaped by conflict, courage and buried truths. Its period setting, large-scale action and atmospheric backdrop make it a strong pick for audiences seeking a story with both scale and historical texture.

Kiku Chiranjeevi 

Release date: August 28, 2026. 

Directed by Shubha Sai Venkat, this Telugu survival drama-thriller stars Kiku Yanamala and Kashish Khan, with Eswari Rao, Tanikella Bharani and Goparaju Ramana in supporting roles. At its centre is Chiru, a young man born with dextrocardia, a rare condition in which the heart is located on the right side of the chest, who faces threats while fighting to survive.

KANNADA 

Toxic: A Fairytale For Grown-Ups 

Release date: August 26, 2026  

Geethu Mohandas directs Yash in this ambitious period gangster drama, with Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Huma Qureshi and Tara Sutaria among the ensemble. Set against a Goa backdrop spanning the 1940s to the 1970s, the film follows the rise of Raya amid betrayal, violence and shifting loyalties. Yash’s first major release since “KGF: Chapter 2” makes it one of the week’s biggest theatrical draws.

BENGALI 

Maya Satya Bhram 

Release date: August 28, 2026. 

Written and directed by Samik Roy Choudhury, this Bengali psychological thriller stars Priyanka Sarkar, Soham Majumdar and Sanat Chattopadhyay. The film’s title — “Maya, Satya, Bhram,” or illusion, truth and delusion, points toward a story that blurs the boundaries between perception and reality. For viewers looking beyond conventional genre fare, its psychological and philosophical premise is the draw.