The third installment of the beloved comedy franchise, ‘Welcome,’ was all set to hit theaters on December 20. However, the latest developments reveal that fans will have to wait a bit longer for Akshay Kumar’s ‘Welcome to the Jungle.’

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the upcoming film, featuring Akshay Kumar alongside Raveena Tandon, Jacqueline Fernandez, Paresh Rawal, and others, will not meet its slated release date of December 20. A source close to the production disclosed that the film has been mounted on a grand scale, with the first part of the schedule wrapping up recently in May. It was a prolonged shoot in Aarey, Maharashtra, with the entire star cast present. However, this was just the first of several planned schedules. “Additionally, significant VFX work will be required after principal photography concludes. Given these factors, a December 20 release seems unlikely.”

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The film was initially set to clash with Aamir Khan’s ‘Sitaare Zameen Par,’ as the latter was also eyeing a Christmas release this year. However, this box office battle has been put to rest with the delay of the third film in the ‘Welcome’ series. ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ marks Akshay’s return to the franchise, as he was absent from the second installment, ‘Welcome Back.’ However, Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor, who played pivotal roles in the first film, won’t be seen in the upcoming release. Nonetheless, the film boasts a stellar cast alongside Akshay Kumar, including Arshad Warsi, Suniel Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta Bhupathi, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, and Krushna Abhishek, among others.

Previously, it was reported that Sanjay Dutt parted ways with the film due to his inability to keep up with the action sequences set for his role because of health concerns. On the other hand, a contradicting report suggested that Dutt decided to walk out of the film due to scheduling conflicts and constant changes to the script.

Meanwhile, no other details about the awaited film’s release have been reported. On the work front, Akshay Kumar is set for back-to-back releases with ‘Sarfira,’ ‘Jolly LLB 3,’ and ‘Khel Khel Mein,’ among others.