'Run Lola Run' Bollywood Remake in the Works

Sony Pictures India is co-producing the Hindi remake of Tom Tykwer's 1998 German cult classic, which will star Taapsee Pannu and Tahir Raj Bhasin.

German cult classic Run Lola Run is headed to Bollywood.

Titled Loopa Lapeta, the Hindi-language remake of the 1998 hit film will star Taapsee Pannu and Tahir Raj Bhasin and will be directed by Aakash Bhatia and scripted by Vinay Chhawal and Ketan Pedgaonkar. Principal photography is set to begin in April, with a release date slated for Jan. 29, 2021.

Toplined by Franka Potente and Moritz Bleibtreu, Run Lola Run centered on two star-crossed lovers who find themselves left with a few minutes to change their lives forever. The pic was helmed by Tom Tykwer and produced by X-Filme Creative Pool, which went on to produce Cloud Atlas and Goodbye Lenin!

The new project is being co-produced by Sony Pictures Films India, Indian banner Ellipsis Entertainment and Aayush Maheshwari. Formed in 2016, Ellipsis' credits include Neerja, Tumhari Sallu and Why Cheat India.

Loopa Lapeta builds on Sony's Indian slate, whose recent titles include the hit social drama Padman and the comedy 102 Not Out, while upcoming films include Shakuntala Devi, Nikamma, Helmet and Major.

"Looopa Lapeta is a shining addition to our slate of clutter-breaking and compelling motion pictures," Sony Pictures Entertainment India managing director Vivek Krishnani said Tuesday in a statement. "We love the amazing cast which has come on board to breathe life into this cutting-edge script. It will always be the studio’s constant endeavor to work with new directors and actors, and Aakash Bhatia is one amazing find for the studio. We are also looking forward to our first collaboration with Ellipsis, which has, in no time, emerged as a company that finds, develops and creates challenging yet entertaining films that speaks to today’s new-age audiences."

"We are emotional about this film, as it was the first to get greenlit at Ellipsis after our company was formed," Ellipsis Entertainment partners Tanuj Garg and Atul Kasbekar said in a joint statement. "When Aayush Maheshwari approached us with the rights, we agreed immediately and invested the better part of three years in working on various versions and drafts to adapt the German film to suit an Indian context."

Meanwhile, a number of Indian remakes of major international titles are in the works, the most high-profile being superstar Aamir Khan's upcoming adaptation of Forrest Gump. Also in the works is a remake of The Intern, which will star Deepika Padukone and Rishi Kapoor.