Alia Bhatt’s Alpha gets new release date, to hit theaters in 2026

Bollywood’s much-awaited spy-thriller ‘Alpha’ has been rescheduled for an April 17, 2026, release, the makers confirmed on Monday. The movie was originally scheduled to open in theatres around Christmas 2025, but it has been postponed to make sure that its scale and special effects provide what the production team refers to as a ‘true cinematic experience.’

Produced by Yash Raj Films (YRF) as part of its growing ‘YRF Spy Universe’ with films like War 2, the Alia Bhatt and Sharvari starrer movie now aims for the mid-April window of next year, citing that the action-thriller's visual effects (VFX) require additional time to provide a visually captivating experience for viewers. The movie is the first YRF spy universe espionage thriller with a female lead.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the announcement on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “It’s Official...Alia Bhatt - Sharvari: YRF Shifts ‘Alpha’ To Next Year... #YRFSpyUniverse’s first female-led spy film, #Alpha, will now release on 17 April 2026.”

“The post-production team needs additional time to complete the VFX, leading to the revised release date,” the statement adds.

IT'S

OFFICIAL... ALIA BHATT - SHARVARI: YRF SHIFTS 'ALPHA' TO NEXT YEAR... #YRFSpyUniverse's first female-led spy film, #Alpha, will now release on 17 April 2026.

The post-production team needs additional time to complete the VFX, leading to the revised release date.… pic.twitter.com/2Ika67gqSX

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) November 3, 2025

“We have realised that the VFX will take a little longer than what we had initially assumed,” a YRF spokesperson said, citing the VFX team's insistence on an extended runtime as the main reason for the postponement.

The producers are eager to avoid sacrificing quality, and the visual work took longer than expected.

The delay is reportedly due to a commitment to provide the desired spectacle and is not a response to a busy release schedule or competition. “Alpha team wants to put out the best film for audiences to enjoy. It is a fair move by YRF,” a YRF spokesperson told India Today.

The source added that this was “brewing as the VFX team was under a lot of pressure about timelines, and the push of the release date is due to this only and not because of the current cluttered release window.”

Being one of the first female-led espionage thrillers, Alpha represents a turning point for YRF and places Alia Bhatt and Sharvari in action-spy terrain. The action-packed plot of the movie, which also stars veteran actor Anil Kapoor as the RAW chief, is connected to the broader YRF Spy Universe concept.

Since April 17, 2026, has been set as the official release date, viewers have more time to create anticipation, and the filmmakers want to adjust the movie to meet viewer expectations.

The change indicates that YRF is willing to put production polish ahead of an earlier holiday release, which was previously the highly anticipated Christmas 2025 date.