8-Time Oscar-Winning Slumdog Millionaire Set for Sequel

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Last Updated: Thursday, 13 March 2025 12:20

Written by Lupe R Haas

The Danny Boyle-directed SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was one of the most successful films released in 2008. Inspired by the novel Q & A by Indian writer Vikas Swarup, SlUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was a relatively low-budget movie, costing just $15m. However, it went on to gross over $378m at the box office.

The film achieved critical acclaim from all corners and was nominated for ten Oscars in 2009, eventually winning eight of them. The movie also won seven BAFTAs and four Golden Globes.

The plot itself was centered around an Indian boy from Mumbai’s Juhu slums, named Jamal Malik. Jamal enters Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Hindi version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and surprises everyone by moving to within one correct answer of winning the grand prize. Jamal is then accused of cheating his way up the ranks, but reiterates and proves his innocence to the police by recounting why he knew the answer to every question.

SlUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was released at the height of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’s fame and popularity. However, it’s still a much-loved TV game show and franchise in the present day, too. Spin-offs include an eponymous board game, as well as an officially-licensed Slingo title based on the quiz show, which has established itself, alongside Deal or No Deal, as one of the go-to games based on TV gameshows at online bingo rooms licensed in the UK.

A Slumdog Sequel Will Be Under New Management

Now, 17 years after its big screen release, it appears that a SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE sequel is in the works. A production company has purchased the television and sequel rights to the movie. Bridge7, owned by an ex-Netflix employee, Swati Shetty, bought the rights from British firm Celador, which produced and funded the movie, in partnership with UK-based Film4.

According to reports from Deadline, Bridge7 is prepared to work collaboratively with Celador on a sequel, which has been eagerly anticipated for several years. Shetty, who co-founded Bridge7 in June 2023 with ex-CAA agent, Grant Kessman, said the power of the original release was not just its “cinematic brilliance” but also its ability to combine “talent from across the world” to forge a successful global cast.

According to Deadline, any sequel would focus on telling “the next chapter of Jamal’s journey”. There’s no confirmation as yet surrounding the cast and whether the likes of Dev Patel and female lead, Freida Pinto, would be prepared to return. However, the offer to return would surely be strong enough to deserve great consideration by either star.

Using a potential Slumdog sequel to launch their independent Bridge7 studio feels like a bold but sensible move. Shetty has worked for a quarter-of-a-century at Netflix, as well as Imagine Entertainment and at the local Indian production unit for Disney. Her most recent work for Netflix was in 2022, producing the popular rom-com Wedding Season. Meanwhile Kessman worked for 20 years as a literary agent in CAA’s TV department. In the latter stages of his career with CAA, Kessman sought to improve the representation of scriptwriters and producers on the European side of the Atlantic.