The list of filmmakers who were speculated to collaborate with Mahesh Babu but didn't or couldn't is quite long.
There was a strong buzz post-1: Nenokkadine (2014) for another project around 2018–2019 with Sukumar. Mahesh publicly confirmed it was off due to creative differences, in 2019. The film is believed to be nothing but Pushpa, but Sukumar denied the same.
There was a time when director Shankar was in great form. He himself mentioned missed opportunities with Mahesh. In the wake of Indian 2 and Game Changer, a Mahesh-Shankar movie is a dead idea.
Multiple rounds of speculation (Devil and Sugar Factory, for example) existed after the release of Arjun Reddy. Sandeep Reddy Vanga clarified he narrated Devil (not Animal) but it didn't happen; he repeated denials of finalized projects.
Recently, buzz about a collaboration between Prashanth Neel and the Varanasi actor surfaced online after the director stated that he plans to make a movie with a mythological plot.
And the latest buzz is that Buchi Babu Sana has pitched a storyline to Mahesh. He is working on it. It's safe to conclude that, even if it materializes, its shoot won't begin anytime before the start of 2028. Buchi Babu is notoriously slow. Also, the scenario could change if, say, some other director pitches a better storyline/genre to the superstar.
