The upcoming animated feature Baahubali: The Eternal War is set to premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026 in France as part of the festival’s prestigious Work in Progress showcase, marking a significant milestone not only for the Baahubali franchise but also for the broader Indian animation industry.
SS Rajamouli is already in France alongside his son S. S. Karthikeya and producer Shobu Yarlagadda for the event. Sharing a photograph from Annecy, Yarlagadda wrote, “At Annecy Film Festival!! All set for our #Baahubali WIP panel and #RRR screening!”, confirming the team’s participation in the festival’s industry programming.
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival is widely regarded as the world’s premier animation event and is often described as the animation industry’s equivalent of Cannes. Its Work in Progress section provides filmmakers with an opportunity to present upcoming projects to international distributors, buyers, festival programmers, and animation professionals before completion, making selection into the showcase a notable achievement for any animated production.
The appearance is particularly significant for Indian animation. While India has long been one of the world’s largest animation outsourcing hubs, relatively few Indian animated features have secured meaningful visibility on major international platforms. Baahubali: The Eternal War therefore represents a rare opportunity for an Indian franchise to showcase an ambitious homegrown animated project before a global industry audience.
Directed by Ishan Shukla and produced by Arka Media Works, Baahubali: The Eternal War is reportedly mounted on a budget of around ₹120 crore and is being developed as a high-end 3D animated two-part saga currently slated for release in 2027. While Rajamouli remains closely associated with the project and is actively presenting it at Annecy, the film itself is being directed by Shukla, one of India’s most internationally recognized animation filmmakers. Shukla is best known for the acclaimed animated feature Schirkoa and has also contributed to projects including Star Wars: Visions.
According to information shared about the project, the film is reportedly set across fourteen fantastical realms and follows Amarendra Baahubali’s soul as it becomes entangled in a cosmic conflict between the Devas and Asuras. Blending elements of Indian mythology with fantasy storytelling, the animated feature expands the Baahubali universe far beyond the events depicted in the original live-action films.
Choosing Baahubali as the foundation for a large-scale animated project is also a strategic decision. The franchise already enjoys widespread recognition across India and international markets, providing the filmmakers with an established audience while allowing them to explore a storytelling medium that remains underrepresented in mainstream Indian cinema. The project arrives at a time when anime and animated storytelling are increasingly finding younger audiences in India, creating opportunities for ambitious original productions.
The beloved characters that Prabhas and Ramya Krishnan helped make iconic in the live-action films will once again be voiced by the actors, offering continuity for long-time fans of the franchise. The film’s music is being composed by MM Keeravani, whose score played a major role in shaping the identity and emotional resonance of the original Baahubali duology.
Producers Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni, who previously backed the blockbuster live-action films under the Arka Media Works banner, are once again supporting the franchise’s expansion into new storytelling formats. Beyond the immediate project, Baahubali: The Eternal War also represents an important test case for Indian animation’s global ambitions, demonstrating how one of the country’s most successful cinematic properties can evolve into a large-scale animated universe.
With the Annecy Work in Progress presentation placing the project before some of the most influential figures in the animation industry, the showcase offers an opportunity to generate international awareness well ahead of the film’s planned 2027 release. For the Baahubali franchise, it marks another step in its continuing evolution beyond live-action cinema. For Indian animation, it may prove to be one of the most closely watched projects currently in development.
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