Len Blavatnik and Ruben Dishdishyan producing.
An Media has reported a strong response to its AFM action thriller Mira with multiple territory sales led by the US, Germany, Australia and South Korea in the latest example of the longer deal-making tail at markets.
Germany-based Capelight Pictures has acquired rights for the US, Germany and Australia, while Korea Screen will distribute in South Korea and Cine Y Video in Latin America. An Media is continuing talks for other territories.
Dmitry Kiselev (Spacewalker) directs Mira, which centres on Lera, the 15-year-old daughter of an astronaut, Arabov, who left many years ago on...
An Media has reported a strong response to its AFM action thriller Mira with multiple territory sales led by the US, Germany, Australia and South Korea in the latest example of the longer deal-making tail at markets.
Germany-based Capelight Pictures has acquired rights for the US, Germany and Australia, while Korea Screen will distribute in South Korea and Cine Y Video in Latin America. An Media is continuing talks for other territories.
Dmitry Kiselev (Spacewalker) directs Mira, which centres on Lera, the 15-year-old daughter of an astronaut, Arabov, who left many years ago on...
- 11/15/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Len Blavatnik and Ruben Dishdishyan producing.
An Media has reported a strong response to its AFM action thriller Mira with multiple territory sales led by the US, Germany, Australia and South Korea in the latest example of the longer deal-making tail at markets.
Germany-based Capelight Pictures has acquired rights for the US, Germany and Australia, while Korea Screen will distribute in South Korea and Cine Y Video in Latin America. An Media is continuing talks for other territories.
Dmitry Kiselev (Spacewalker) directs Mira, which centres on Lera, the 15-year-old daughter of an astronaut, Arabov, who left many years ago on...
An Media has reported a strong response to its AFM action thriller Mira with multiple territory sales led by the US, Germany, Australia and South Korea in the latest example of the longer deal-making tail at markets.
Germany-based Capelight Pictures has acquired rights for the US, Germany and Australia, while Korea Screen will distribute in South Korea and Cine Y Video in Latin America. An Media is continuing talks for other territories.
Dmitry Kiselev (Spacewalker) directs Mira, which centres on Lera, the 15-year-old daughter of an astronaut, Arabov, who left many years ago on...
- 11/14/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Mars Media’s Ruben Dishdishyan and Amedia Production’s Len Blavatnik, two of the most significant figures in the Russian biz, have entered into a five-year agreement to co-produce and co-finance feature films.
The deal is a formalization of an existing partnership that to date has seen the companies team on projects including local box office hit A Dog Named Palma as well as its upcoming sequel, and the war drama T-34, which was a box office smash in China and was picked up for international territories by Netflix. In post-production are historical epic Woland, an adaptation of The Master and Margarita, and sci-fi action-adventure Mira.
The producers are aiming to make 10 features together over the next five years. Already in development are Alexander Pushkin’s epic fairytale Ruslan and Ludmila and an adaptation of Boris and Arkady Strugatsky’s famed sci-fi mystery novel The Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel.
The deal is a formalization of an existing partnership that to date has seen the companies team on projects including local box office hit A Dog Named Palma as well as its upcoming sequel, and the war drama T-34, which was a box office smash in China and was picked up for international territories by Netflix. In post-production are historical epic Woland, an adaptation of The Master and Margarita, and sci-fi action-adventure Mira.
The producers are aiming to make 10 features together over the next five years. Already in development are Alexander Pushkin’s epic fairytale Ruslan and Ludmila and an adaptation of Boris and Arkady Strugatsky’s famed sci-fi mystery novel The Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel.
- 1/11/2022
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
The year 2021 marked 10 years in the business for Mars Media, the leading Russian content company founded by Ruben Dishdishyan, who previously set up and ran fellow major player Central Partnership.
At Mars, Dishdishyan and his team initially focused on producing TV, but have since moved more into the film business, at a time when most of the industry seems to be going in the other direction. The pivot to large-screen production has paid dividends, however, with its family movie Palma proving a local hit, and spawning a sequel, while its war pic T-34 was both a local box office success and also made waves in China. On the horizon, Mars’ projects include Woland, the $15M drama starring Inglorious Basterds actor August Diehl in a loose adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s classic novel The Master and Margarita.
Deadline sat down with Dishdishyan to cast our eyes back over a decade of operating in the Russian market.
At Mars, Dishdishyan and his team initially focused on producing TV, but have since moved more into the film business, at a time when most of the industry seems to be going in the other direction. The pivot to large-screen production has paid dividends, however, with its family movie Palma proving a local hit, and spawning a sequel, while its war pic T-34 was both a local box office success and also made waves in China. On the horizon, Mars’ projects include Woland, the $15M drama starring Inglorious Basterds actor August Diehl in a loose adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s classic novel The Master and Margarita.
Deadline sat down with Dishdishyan to cast our eyes back over a decade of operating in the Russian market.
- 12/31/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Ten projects in development will be presented to industry professionals during the 8th Transilvania Pitch Stop (Tps) at this year’s Transilvania Intl. Film Festival, with a hybrid pitching session on July 29 including a range of film funds, distributors, sales agents, producers and financiers both online and on-site in the host city of Cluj.
Launched in 2014 as a five-day workshop for first- and second-time directors from Romania and Moldova, the Pitch Stop expanded in 2017 to include a co-production platform with projects from neighboring countries. The program – which has become one of the leading industry confabs in the region – looks to foster cross-border collaboration while also nurturing and supporting emerging talent.
TIFF industry manager Ioana Lazareanu says the Tps’ mission is to help create “a synergy between the creative side in the industry and the business side.”
“On the one hand, obviously, [there is] the need to nurture, support and promote local talent…...
Launched in 2014 as a five-day workshop for first- and second-time directors from Romania and Moldova, the Pitch Stop expanded in 2017 to include a co-production platform with projects from neighboring countries. The program – which has become one of the leading industry confabs in the region – looks to foster cross-border collaboration while also nurturing and supporting emerging talent.
TIFF industry manager Ioana Lazareanu says the Tps’ mission is to help create “a synergy between the creative side in the industry and the business side.”
“On the one hand, obviously, [there is] the need to nurture, support and promote local talent…...
- 7/22/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: German actor August Diehl, whose credits include The Young Karl Marx, Inglourious Basterds and A Hidden Life, has signed on to play the lead role in big-budget Russian drama Woland.
The $15M project is a loose adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s classic novel The Master and Margarita, one of the most read books in Russia’s history. Michael Lockshin (Silver Skates) is directing from a screenplay by Roman Kantor and Michael Lockshinbased.
Starring alongside Diehl are Yulia Snigir and Evgeniy Tsyganov. Set in Moscow in the 1930s, the film will weave together the novel’s narrative with Bulgakov’s own history in Russia. It will follow a promising young writer who at the height of his career finds himself in the middle of a scandal of both literary and political nature – his new novel is being crushed by harsh idealistic critics, who say that his vivid depiction of Christ...
The $15M project is a loose adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s classic novel The Master and Margarita, one of the most read books in Russia’s history. Michael Lockshin (Silver Skates) is directing from a screenplay by Roman Kantor and Michael Lockshinbased.
Starring alongside Diehl are Yulia Snigir and Evgeniy Tsyganov. Set in Moscow in the 1930s, the film will weave together the novel’s narrative with Bulgakov’s own history in Russia. It will follow a promising young writer who at the height of his career finds himself in the middle of a scandal of both literary and political nature – his new novel is being crushed by harsh idealistic critics, who say that his vivid depiction of Christ...
- 7/22/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Pilot. A Battle for Survival” (Central Partnership)
Producers: Renat Davletyarov, Vlad Ryashin
Synopsis: December 1941, Northwestern Front. A German tank column is moving toward Moscow. During a mission to halt the enemy’s advance, Soviet pilot Nikolai Komlev’s plane is shot down behind enemy lines. Battling hunger and cold while evading packs of wolves and detachments of Nazi soldiers, the wounded pilot finally makes it back to safety. But there he faces another challenge, which will prove to be the most life-changing of all.
“The World Champion” (Central Partnership)
Producers: Alexey Sidorov, Nikita Mikhalkov, Rafael Minasbekyan, Leonid Vereshschagin
Synopsis: Some sporting triumphs are about more than just claiming a title. Some of them go down in history. A drama based on the legendary 1978 chess match between Soviet world champion Anatoly Karpov and the dissident Viktor Korchnoi. In this battle between two outstanding chess players (pictured), a duel of personalities under immense psychological pressure,...
Producers: Renat Davletyarov, Vlad Ryashin
Synopsis: December 1941, Northwestern Front. A German tank column is moving toward Moscow. During a mission to halt the enemy’s advance, Soviet pilot Nikolai Komlev’s plane is shot down behind enemy lines. Battling hunger and cold while evading packs of wolves and detachments of Nazi soldiers, the wounded pilot finally makes it back to safety. But there he faces another challenge, which will prove to be the most life-changing of all.
“The World Champion” (Central Partnership)
Producers: Alexey Sidorov, Nikita Mikhalkov, Rafael Minasbekyan, Leonid Vereshschagin
Synopsis: Some sporting triumphs are about more than just claiming a title. Some of them go down in history. A drama based on the legendary 1978 chess match between Soviet world champion Anatoly Karpov and the dissident Viktor Korchnoi. In this battle between two outstanding chess players (pictured), a duel of personalities under immense psychological pressure,...
- 5/19/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
German project development event will showcase 28 projects from 34 countries.
The third edition of the European Work in Progress Cologne (Ewip) will unfold as a physical event in spite of the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, its organisers have announced.
Running October 5 to 7 within the framework of the 30th Cologne Film Festival, the meeting will showcase 28 projects from 34 countries.
“The experiences in Cannes and other industry events in this corona year have shown that the direct exchange of people, despite numerous digital communication possibilities, cannot be replaced by anything,” commented Torsten Frehse, a board member of German independent distributors’ association Ag Verleih.
The third edition of the European Work in Progress Cologne (Ewip) will unfold as a physical event in spite of the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, its organisers have announced.
Running October 5 to 7 within the framework of the 30th Cologne Film Festival, the meeting will showcase 28 projects from 34 countries.
“The experiences in Cannes and other industry events in this corona year have shown that the direct exchange of people, despite numerous digital communication possibilities, cannot be replaced by anything,” commented Torsten Frehse, a board member of German independent distributors’ association Ag Verleih.
- 10/2/2020
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
The Second War War film grossed $10.6m in first four days.
Russian Second World War tank movie T-34 has become the most successful local film of all time to open at the Russian box office.
The film, released by Central Partnership, grossed $10.6m (713m roubles) over the four-day weekend from from January 3-6, a sizeable increase on the previous record set by Oleg Stepchenko’s fantasy film, Viy which grossed $9m ( 602m roubles) on its opening weekend in 2014.
With T-34 driving growth early 2019 growth, media measurement specialist Comscore confirmed the lucrative holiday season in Russia that ran from Janaury 1-...
Russian Second World War tank movie T-34 has become the most successful local film of all time to open at the Russian box office.
The film, released by Central Partnership, grossed $10.6m (713m roubles) over the four-day weekend from from January 3-6, a sizeable increase on the previous record set by Oleg Stepchenko’s fantasy film, Viy which grossed $9m ( 602m roubles) on its opening weekend in 2014.
With T-34 driving growth early 2019 growth, media measurement specialist Comscore confirmed the lucrative holiday season in Russia that ran from Janaury 1-...
- 1/11/2019
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
The WW2 film has also newly sold to Japan Italy, the Gulf and Taiwan.
Altitude Film Distribution has acquired UK rights to $10m Russian tank movie T-34 from Moscow-based sales agent Mars Media. In the wake of the Afm, Mars Media has also sealed deals with Gulf (Middle East), Twin Co (Japan), Movie Cloud (Taiwan) and Minvera (Itay).
These follow deals already announced for Germany (Tiberius), Spain (Mediaset), Benelux (Dutch Film Works), Baltics (Garsu) and Korea (Korea Screen.) A French deal is expected to be concluded imminently.
Written and directed by Alexey Sidorov, T-34 in set 1941 during the height of the Second World War.
Altitude Film Distribution has acquired UK rights to $10m Russian tank movie T-34 from Moscow-based sales agent Mars Media. In the wake of the Afm, Mars Media has also sealed deals with Gulf (Middle East), Twin Co (Japan), Movie Cloud (Taiwan) and Minvera (Itay).
These follow deals already announced for Germany (Tiberius), Spain (Mediaset), Benelux (Dutch Film Works), Baltics (Garsu) and Korea (Korea Screen.) A French deal is expected to be concluded imminently.
Written and directed by Alexey Sidorov, T-34 in set 1941 during the height of the Second World War.
- 11/21/2018
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
The WW2 film has also newly sold to Japan Italy, the Gulf and Taiwan.
Altitude Film Distribution has acquired UK rights to $10m Russian tank movie T-34 from Moscow-based sales agent Mars Media. In the wake of the Afm, Mars Media has also sealed deals with Gulf (Middle East), Twin Co (Japan), Movie Cloud (Taiwan) and Minvera (Itay).
These follow deals already announced for Germany (Tiberius), Spain (Mediaset), Benelux (Dutch Film Works), Baltics (Garsu) and Korea (Korea Screen.) A French deal is expected to be concluded imminently.
Written and directed by Alexey Sidorov, T-34 in set 1941 during the height of the Second World War.
Altitude Film Distribution has acquired UK rights to $10m Russian tank movie T-34 from Moscow-based sales agent Mars Media. In the wake of the Afm, Mars Media has also sealed deals with Gulf (Middle East), Twin Co (Japan), Movie Cloud (Taiwan) and Minvera (Itay).
These follow deals already announced for Germany (Tiberius), Spain (Mediaset), Benelux (Dutch Film Works), Baltics (Garsu) and Korea (Korea Screen.) A French deal is expected to be concluded imminently.
Written and directed by Alexey Sidorov, T-34 in set 1941 during the height of the Second World War.
- 11/21/2018
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Paul Hanson’s production, financing and distribution outfit has launched an international sales label in the run-up to the Toronto International Film Festival.
Covert’s president of international Liz Kim Schwan will lead the division and kick off with sales on Earthquake, the drama about the 1988 Spitak natural disaster that is viewed as a potential candidate as Armenia’s Oscar foreign-language submission.
Sarik Andreasyan directed the film, which stars Konstantin Lavronenko, a Cannes best actor winner in 2007 for The Banishment.
Earthquake is a fictional account of the event that destroyed more than 300 towns across Armenia and displaced more than half a million people.
Set in Leninakan, Armenia, the story interweaves the stories of a 50-year-old Russian and a 28-year-old Armenian who work together to rescue survivors.
Covert will handle North America and all international sales excluding Russia, where Caro Premier Film Company has scheduled a December 1 release in 1,000 theatres under original title Zemletryasenie.
French and Chinese...
Covert’s president of international Liz Kim Schwan will lead the division and kick off with sales on Earthquake, the drama about the 1988 Spitak natural disaster that is viewed as a potential candidate as Armenia’s Oscar foreign-language submission.
Sarik Andreasyan directed the film, which stars Konstantin Lavronenko, a Cannes best actor winner in 2007 for The Banishment.
Earthquake is a fictional account of the event that destroyed more than 300 towns across Armenia and displaced more than half a million people.
Set in Leninakan, Armenia, the story interweaves the stories of a 50-year-old Russian and a 28-year-old Armenian who work together to rescue survivors.
Covert will handle North America and all international sales excluding Russia, where Caro Premier Film Company has scheduled a December 1 release in 1,000 theatres under original title Zemletryasenie.
French and Chinese...
- 8/25/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
French actor and Russian citizen Gerard Depardieu will star in a Russian TV series based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s classic 1879 novel, The Brothers Karamazov. The series, produced by Mars Media, will consist of eight episodes, with shooting planned for 2017. Mars Media head Ruben Dishdishyan told Russian news agency Rambler News Service, "Depardieu was the initiator of the project. He will play the father of the Karamazovs." According to Dishdishyan, French producer Jean-Pierre Guerin — who produced the French TV series Le comte de Monte Cristo, Balzac and Les miserables, starring Depardieu — will also come on board. Funding for the series
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- 6/3/2016
- by Vladimir Kozlov
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Russian actor Sergey Puskepalis is to make his directorial debut and has cast Alexey Serebryakov, star of Cannes winner Leviathan.
Clinch is billed as a drama with tragicomic elements starring Serebryakov, who headlined Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan, winner of best screenplay at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Clinch, which is being produced by Ruben Dishdishyan’s Mars Media Entertainment, also features the actress Asya Domskaya in her first screen role.
Speaking to Ria-Novosti, Puskepalis explained that the film’s story, which he had developed for the past five years, focuses on “the clinch of relations between the ‘next’ generations and people of my age”.
“We are not very good at understanding the kids who are around 20-22 years-old. And there’s an essential difference between us – they are citizens of Russia and we are all still from the Ussr,” he added.
Puskepalis and his co-star Grigory Dobrygin shared a Silver Bear at the 2010 Berlinale for their...
Clinch is billed as a drama with tragicomic elements starring Serebryakov, who headlined Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan, winner of best screenplay at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Clinch, which is being produced by Ruben Dishdishyan’s Mars Media Entertainment, also features the actress Asya Domskaya in her first screen role.
Speaking to Ria-Novosti, Puskepalis explained that the film’s story, which he had developed for the past five years, focuses on “the clinch of relations between the ‘next’ generations and people of my age”.
“We are not very good at understanding the kids who are around 20-22 years-old. And there’s an essential difference between us – they are citizens of Russia and we are all still from the Ussr,” he added.
Puskepalis and his co-star Grigory Dobrygin shared a Silver Bear at the 2010 Berlinale for their...
- 7/11/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Moscow – Russian TV producer WeiT Media on Thursday issued a statement emphasizing that it has exclusive rights to adapt in Russia the Israeli TV series Hatufim, which Showtime hit Homeland is based on. Amid plans for two shows under the same Russian title that means "Homeland" in the language, it also said that no other company can claim the right to make a Russian version. “Lately, there have been media reports linking other industry players, including Mars Media’s Ruben Dishdishyan to a Russian adaptation of Hatufim,” the company said. “We are officially saying that WeiT Media owns the
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- 11/28/2013
- by Vladimir Kozlov
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Moscow -- Central Partnership, Russia's largest independent film producer, has announced the projects on which it will spend the 250 million roubles ($8.5 million) in state support, to which the company is entitled along with seven other players under the new state-funding scheme.
"We are absolutely sure that at this stage of the film industry's development, Russian producers vitally need the government's support, including funding", Central Partnership's president Ruben Dishdishyan said in a statement. "Very tough competition with U.S. films and a catastrophically small number of film theaters per person make the life of domestic film companies very difficult."
"But we also think that a lot depends upon producers themselves", he went on to say. "This is why we are investing very serious money in movies co-financed by the state."
Central Partnership will spend the state cash on the production of six films and on promotion of already completed "Dark World,...
"We are absolutely sure that at this stage of the film industry's development, Russian producers vitally need the government's support, including funding", Central Partnership's president Ruben Dishdishyan said in a statement. "Very tough competition with U.S. films and a catastrophically small number of film theaters per person make the life of domestic film companies very difficult."
"But we also think that a lot depends upon producers themselves", he went on to say. "This is why we are investing very serious money in movies co-financed by the state."
Central Partnership will spend the state cash on the production of six films and on promotion of already completed "Dark World,...
- 7/28/2010
- by By Vladimir Kozlov
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Moscow -- Central Partnership, Russia’s largest independent film producer and distributor, has signed an exclusive agreement with Paramount Pictures International for theatrical distribution of PPI titles in the former USSR countries, excluding Ukraine and Baltic states, effective as of Jan. 1, 2009, Central Partnership said Monday.
The agreement also stipulates co-production of motion pictures in Russia for the local market and, in some cases, for international markets. In accordance with the agreement, PPI will be Central Partnership’s partner for international distribution of selective motion pictures produced by the company.
The agreement is the first of its kind -- between an independent Russian company and a major U.S. studio.
Central Partnership’s management hailed the deal: “This agreement will let us substantially expand our portfolio due to the high quality motion pictures supplied by Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks and boost our mutual positions in the Russian and Cis film distribution market,...
The agreement also stipulates co-production of motion pictures in Russia for the local market and, in some cases, for international markets. In accordance with the agreement, PPI will be Central Partnership’s partner for international distribution of selective motion pictures produced by the company.
The agreement is the first of its kind -- between an independent Russian company and a major U.S. studio.
Central Partnership’s management hailed the deal: “This agreement will let us substantially expand our portfolio due to the high quality motion pictures supplied by Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks and boost our mutual positions in the Russian and Cis film distribution market,...
- 9/15/2008
- by By Vladimir Kozlov
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival
AMSTERDAM -- Epic sword-and-sorcery fantasy "Wolfhound" is essentially "Conan the Barbarian" meets "Lord of the Rings" Russian-style. While the vibe is too squarely old-fashioned and action sequences too uninspired for the movie to appeal to audiences beyond its Slavic market, it's easy to see why the film clicked in the motherland with at least one sequel in the offing. The novel upon which it's based -- the first part of a trilogy -- deals with the heroic exploits of slave-turned-warrior Wolfhound (imposing, furrow-browed Aleksandr Bukharov) in an unspecified medieval-ish time in an unspecified locale. Never has rural Slovakia looked quite so much like Middle Earth.
The opening reel is pure "Conan": Young Wolfhound watches as his family is slaughtered by a marauding clan of monstrous villains. This sparks a standard-issue revenge plot, which eventually leads the grown-up Wolfhound -- accompanied at all times by his pet bat -- a scene-stealingly cute, flightless critter known as Ragged Wing -- to become protector of Princess Elen (Oksana Akinshina), whose mystical powers the forces of darkness are keen to harness for evil ends.
It's interesting to see a current Russian film presenting royal blood as magically sacred, but whatever the imperialistic subtexts (and "Wolfhound" is otherwise mercifully light on ideological baggage) the gloomily pretty Akinshina ("The Bourne Supremacy", "Lilya 4-Ever") elevates proceedings whenever she's onscreen. Her best scene is a percussively scored sequence that intercuts the princess' preparations for a hazardous journey with a blood sacrifice being simultaneously performed elsewhere by her dastardly foes.
Not even the pleasingly over-the-top climax, which features a malevolent being that resembles a tornado of stones, battled by Wolfhound with what might be called a Wagnerian light saber, comes close to that scene's primal power. Writer-director Nikolai Lebedev mars the numerous mano-a-mano fight-scenes with choppy editing and a fondness for closeups. Otherwise, he is content to ape his cinematic antecedents, giving the impression that whatever the West can do, a resurgent Russia may not be able to match via spectacle or FX but can certainly exceed in terms of earnest bombast.
WOLFHOUND
A Central Partnership production
Sales: Central Partnership
Credits:
Director: Nikolai Lebedev
Writer: Nikolai Lebedev
Based on the novel by: Mariya Semyonoya
Producers: Sergei Danielyan, Ruben Dishdishyan, Yuri Moroz
Directors of photography: Irek Hartowicz, Valeri Martynov
Production designer: Lyudmila Kusakova
Music: Theo Green, Aleksei Rybnikov
Costume designer: Svetlana Titova
Editors: Lidia Milioti, Pavel Andryosjenko
Cast:
Wolfhound: Aleksandr Bukharov
Princess Elen: Oksana Akinshina
Luchezar: Igor Petrenko
Evrikh: Artyom Semakin
Ogre: Aleksandr Domgarov
Running time -- 136 minutes
No MPAA rating...
AMSTERDAM -- Epic sword-and-sorcery fantasy "Wolfhound" is essentially "Conan the Barbarian" meets "Lord of the Rings" Russian-style. While the vibe is too squarely old-fashioned and action sequences too uninspired for the movie to appeal to audiences beyond its Slavic market, it's easy to see why the film clicked in the motherland with at least one sequel in the offing. The novel upon which it's based -- the first part of a trilogy -- deals with the heroic exploits of slave-turned-warrior Wolfhound (imposing, furrow-browed Aleksandr Bukharov) in an unspecified medieval-ish time in an unspecified locale. Never has rural Slovakia looked quite so much like Middle Earth.
The opening reel is pure "Conan": Young Wolfhound watches as his family is slaughtered by a marauding clan of monstrous villains. This sparks a standard-issue revenge plot, which eventually leads the grown-up Wolfhound -- accompanied at all times by his pet bat -- a scene-stealingly cute, flightless critter known as Ragged Wing -- to become protector of Princess Elen (Oksana Akinshina), whose mystical powers the forces of darkness are keen to harness for evil ends.
It's interesting to see a current Russian film presenting royal blood as magically sacred, but whatever the imperialistic subtexts (and "Wolfhound" is otherwise mercifully light on ideological baggage) the gloomily pretty Akinshina ("The Bourne Supremacy", "Lilya 4-Ever") elevates proceedings whenever she's onscreen. Her best scene is a percussively scored sequence that intercuts the princess' preparations for a hazardous journey with a blood sacrifice being simultaneously performed elsewhere by her dastardly foes.
Not even the pleasingly over-the-top climax, which features a malevolent being that resembles a tornado of stones, battled by Wolfhound with what might be called a Wagnerian light saber, comes close to that scene's primal power. Writer-director Nikolai Lebedev mars the numerous mano-a-mano fight-scenes with choppy editing and a fondness for closeups. Otherwise, he is content to ape his cinematic antecedents, giving the impression that whatever the West can do, a resurgent Russia may not be able to match via spectacle or FX but can certainly exceed in terms of earnest bombast.
WOLFHOUND
A Central Partnership production
Sales: Central Partnership
Credits:
Director: Nikolai Lebedev
Writer: Nikolai Lebedev
Based on the novel by: Mariya Semyonoya
Producers: Sergei Danielyan, Ruben Dishdishyan, Yuri Moroz
Directors of photography: Irek Hartowicz, Valeri Martynov
Production designer: Lyudmila Kusakova
Music: Theo Green, Aleksei Rybnikov
Costume designer: Svetlana Titova
Editors: Lidia Milioti, Pavel Andryosjenko
Cast:
Wolfhound: Aleksandr Bukharov
Princess Elen: Oksana Akinshina
Luchezar: Igor Petrenko
Evrikh: Artyom Semakin
Ogre: Aleksandr Domgarov
Running time -- 136 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 4/23/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MOSCOW -- Central Partnership, one of Russia's leading independent distribution companies, is ramping up its production activities as the boxoffice boom here continues to strengthen. The company, founded eight years ago, is moving beyond its traditional territory of distributing quality American dramas and European art house movies into making its own feature and TV serial projects. The flagship project in its $30 million slate due to hit the international marketplace at Cannes 2005 is "Wolfhound" (Volkdav), an $8 million-$10 million fantasy thriller set in a village during the Dark Age. The film is now shooting at Mosfilm, Russia's top film studios. Central Partnership general director Ruben Dishdishyan says he hopes the effects-driven film will follow in the footsteps of national public network First Channel's boxoffice phenomenon "Nochnoi Dozor" (Night Watch).
- 1/18/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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