NETFLIX FIRST RUSSIAN ORIGINAL SERIES ANNA KARENINA ADS MORE STARS TO THE CAST LED BY SVETLANA KHODCHENKOVA! HE'S ALL THAT REMAKE SET TO PREMIERE THIS MONTH ON NETFLIX

 ANNA K SERIES SETS CAST FOR

NETFLIX 1ST RUSSIAN ORIGINAL

Earlier this summer I told you that Netflix is preparing their first Russian original series and that it will be a modern version of Anna Karenina with Svetlana Khodchenkova leading the cast and now we have the rest of

Svetlana Khodchenkova is Anna K!

the actors too. Set in modern day Russia, ANNA K follows socialite Anna Karenina, the wife of the soon to become governor of St. Petersburg (Fedor Bondarchuk), as she enters into a life changing love affair with Vronsky, the dashing heir of an aluminum empire. Their relationship quickly careens out of control, threatening the delicate balance of their familial bonds and social relationships. The drama, set between cosmopolitan Moscow, historic St. Petersburg, and Russia’s rugged countryside, explores themes of passion, loyalty, and the irrefutable truth that no amount of riches can save us from love’s ability to either free us or bring us to our doom. Yuriy Kutsenko will be Stepan “Stiva” Oblonsky, Anna’s brother, with Yuliya Aleksandrova as his

Yuriy Kutsenko, Fedor Bondarchuk and Yuriy Borisov

wife Dolly. Yuriy Borisov is legendary Konstantin Levin, an old friend of Stiva. Dasha Vereshchagina is Kitty Shcherbatskaya, Dolly’s younger sister and (later) Levin’s wife. Vronsky is yet to be cast!

  HE'S ALL THAT TRAILER  

FOR NEW NETFLIX ROMCOM

Netflix is, meanwhile, ready to give you a new romantic comedy HE IS ALL THAT August 27th! The remake of 1999 teen classic She's all That, with

He's All That streams August 27th

Rachael Leigh Cook and Matthew Lillard appearing in both movies, will have gender swap roles. Directed by Mark Waters, it revolves around Padgett Sawyer (Addison Rae), an influencer specialising in makeovers, who accepts a challenge to turn the school's least popular boy, Cameron Kweller (Tanner Buchanan), into prom king, attempting to avenge herself following a humiliating fallout with her boyfriend. Peyton Meyer, Andrew Matarazzo, also star in the film that caused quite a scandal when a Covid-19 testing kiosk at downtown L.A.'s Union Station was shuttered December 1, 2020 so the film could use the iconic terminal as a location. 

IT'S DRAMA AND OPULENCE IN MARGRETE: QUEEN OF THE NORTH HISTORICAL MOVIE TRAILER WITH TRINE DYRHOLM, JAKOB OFTEBRO! SVETLANA KHODCHENKOVA TO LEAD NETFLIX' 1ST RUSSIAN SERIES ANNA KARENINA

 MODERN ANNA KARENINA 

AS NETFLIX 1ST RUSSIAN SHOW

Svetlana Khodchenkova will take the lead

We are international today, starting with news from Netflix who have cast crazy gorgeous Svetlana Khodchenkova whom you have seen in Wolverine and numerous Russian blockbusters over the years, as the lead for their first Russian original series ANNA K a contemporary version of Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. It will be a lavish retelling of the literary classic, set in modern Russia. It centers on Anna Karenina, the wife of the soon to become governor of St. Petersburg, who enters a life changing love affair with Vronsky, the dashing heir of an aluminum empire. Their affair quickly careens out of control, threatening the delicate balance of their familial bonds and social relationships. Set between cosmopolitan Moscow, historic St. Petersburg, and Russia’s rugged countryside, the drama explores themes of passion and loyalty. Stay tuned for casting news on Vronsky! Will it be one of our favourite Russian gents? Rinal, Petrov, Markov?

 

  MARGRETE: QUEEN OF NORTH 

FIRST EPIC TRAILER IS HERE!

I was probably among the first ones to inform you about this one last winter but now we have the first trailer

Margrete will hit Scandinavia this Autumn

and poster for Danish epic movie MARGRETE: QUEEN OF THE NORTH about their famous queen who united Denmark, Norway and Sweden into one kingdom.  It is the untold story of Margrete I (Trine Dyrholm), a visionary monarch ahead of her time. The year is 1402, and Margrete I has achieved what no man has managed before. She has gathered Denmark, Norway and Sweden into a peace orientated union, which she single handedly rules through her young, adopted son, Erik. The union is beset by enemies, however, and Margrete is therefore planning a marriage between Erik and Princess Philippa of England. An alliance with England should secure the union’s status as an

Trine Dyrholm takes the lead role in the historical drama

emerging European power, but a breathtaking conspiracy is under way that could tear Margrete and all she believes in apart. Directed by Charlotte Sieling the film, also starring Norway's Jakob Oftebro, arrives this September.

PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON LAVISH RUSSIAN EPIC TV SAGA ON FAMOUS 16TH CENTURY TSAR BORIS GODUNOV WITH SERGEI BEZRUKOV AND SVETLANA KHODCHENKOVA

  'GODUNOV'

NEW RUSSIAN EPIC TV SAGA

The series is currently airing in Russia

We are continuing, and also finishing in grand style, our Russian Weekend today with a short spotlight on lavish Russian television saga GODUNOV which is, if the spy is right and when was he not, currently airing on Russian national broadcaster Rossiya 1! This sixteen episode series depicts the struggle for the throne, unrequited love, betrayal, intrigues, passions and trials of the 16th century rule of famous Boris Godunov (the first non Rurikid tsar of Russia) during which the future of the Russian state was being decided. Sadly, the end of his reign has pushed Russia into the

The series is based on Konstantin Badigin's novel Shipwreck near the island of hope

infamous Time of Troubles during which a third of population died from famine and which will end, after many years of turmoil, uprisings and usurpations, with the rise of the Romanov dynasty.

  THE STORY OF GODUNOV
set in the late 16th century,  revolves around tsar Boris Godunov and his family, covering the period from the reign of Ivan the Terrible to the accession of Mikhail Romanov to the throne. In the centre of the plot is the fate of the

Sergei Bezrukov is portraying tsar Boris Godunov in the series

Godunov family, from tsar Boris Godunov (Sergei Bezrukov), his wife tsarina Maria Godunova (played by our favourite Russian superstar Svetlana

Tsar Fedor Romanov, tsar Boris Godunov, and tsar Ivan the Terrible!

Khodchenkova), his sister Irina (who was married to the previous tsar and was childless which is how Boris managed to seize the throne. She is played by

Tsarina Irina, tsarina Mariya, princess Xenia!

Anna Mihalkova) and daughter Xenia (who will later on become the mother of the first tsar from the Romanov dynasty. She is played by Mariya Andreyeva)! Famous tsar Ivan the Terrible is played by Sergei Makovetzkiy.

DEZZY'S HISTORY LESSON

The rule of Boris Godunov, who was of Tatar origin, was at first prosperous and popular among the people as he brought many educational and social reforms by allowing foreign teachers to work in Russia and sending young

Prince Fedor, queen Maria of Livonia, and prince Vasiliy

Russians to study abroad and allowing certain religious freedoms in the empire. Later on, sadly, his rule gave birth to the institution of serfdom in its most oppressive form during which the peasants were turned into slaves. 

RUSSIAN WEEKEND: NEW RUSSIAN EPIC TV SAGA'S 'MATA HARI' WITH RUTGER HAUER, GERARD DEPARDIEU, CHRISTOPHER LAMBERT, JOHN CORBETT, 'ROAD TO CALVARY' SET IN THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

  'MATA HARI' TV SERIES

AN EPIC TRUE STORY

The series was produced by Russian, Ukrane, Portugal

This one has already aired in motherland Russian earlier this year, and is currently airing over in Ukraine, but I'm guessing it has been airing around the world as well since I remember it was a huge hit among the buyers at last year's Mipcom. MATA HARI is a 12 episode period set drama with an international cast that includes Vahina Giocante, Oisin Stack, Rutger Hauer, Gerard Depardieu, John Corbett, Rade Serbedzija, Christopher Lambert, Pasha Sol, Alexey Guskov and Svetlana Hodchenkova!

Vahina Giocante plays the lead role of Mata Hari

LOVE AND SURVIVAL  
Margaret McLeod is penniless and out on the streets after her husband leaves her and gains custody of her only daughter. With no other means of making a living, she decides to become an exotic dancer. Under the stage

The series features Mata Hari's steamy choreographies!

name of MATA HARI, Margaret soon wins fame and notoriety, becoming extremely popular with the European elite. She becomes a regular guest of luxury villas and magnificent mansions, her every performance creating a real

The name Matahari means 'eye of the day' in Indonesian and Malay

sensation. But the year is 1913 and the world is on the verge of a war that will change the entire course of history. MATA HARI cannot even imagine what fateful role she is to play in these coming events.

  'ROAD TO CALVARY'

SERIES CELEBRATING 100 YEARS FROM RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

The series is an epic adaptation of Alexey Tolstoy novel

Another of the Russian television series has, meanwhile, been a hit at this year's Mipcom, which was held last year in Cannes. ROAD TO CALVARY is an epic TV series adaptation of Alexey Tolstoy's novel to be broadcast on the 100 year anniversary of the Russian Revolution of 1917.

  St. Petersburg, 1914. The capital city lives as if in anxious expectation of some fatal day. Russia strives for changes. The central characters in the story are the Bulavin sisters. The young Dasha (Anna Chipovskaya) is stern and

The series is set in the six years that have changed the course of Russian history

idealistic, while the married Katya (Yulia Snigir) is careless and unhappy in her marriage. Both girls fall in love with a Decadent poet Alexey Bessonov, the

Road to Calvary follows the lives of two different sisters

master of minds, who is hopelessly disappointed in life. The love drama turns into a tragedy as World War I begins. The whole country is bestirred, a flow of fateful events carries the sisters away, separates them, destroys their families

Road to Calvary features battle scenes depicting tragedy of war

and puts them on the different sides of the barricades. The characters’ paths often cross and diverge again. But out there, at the end of this continuous walk of pain, the light of hope and of a new and never-before-seen world is shining.

RUSSIAN WEEKEND: PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT AND MINDBLOWING TRAILER FOR NEW RUSSIAN EPIC MOVIE 'VIKING' WITH DANILA KOZLOVSKY

EPIC 'VIKING' TRAILER

WITH DANILA KOZLOVSKY!

We're continuing and also finishing our glorious Russian movies weekend this Sunday with the super exciting new trailer for their upcoming epic adventure VIKING which arrives into theatres December 2016 starring their biggest star Danila Kozlovsky as prince Vladimir and THE WOLVERINE's Svetlana Khodchenkova!

History is a symptom of our disease. From the time of heavy swords and dark laws of blood, when the pressure of great chaos gave rise to heroes. From the Dark Ages came the story that changed the world forever.

 Story is set in the 10th century Kievan Rus! After the death of his father, Svyatoslav I, ruler of Kievan Rus, the young Viking prince Vladimir of Novgorod (Danila Kozlovsky) is forced into exile across the frozen sea to escape his treacherous half brother Yaropolk (Aleksandr Ustyugov), who has murdered his other brother Oleg (Kirill Pletnyov) and conquered the Viking territory of Kievan Rus. The old warrior Sveneld (Maksim Sukhanov) convinces Vladimir to assemble a Varangian armada, hoping to reconquer Novgorod from Yaropolk and ultimately face the mighty Byzantine forces. One of the most expensive movies ever made in Russia took almost 5 years to be made directed by famous Russian director Andrey Kravchuk!
 

RUSSIAN SUNDAY: MINDBLOWING TRAILERS FOR NEW RUSSIAN EPIC MOVIES 'VIKING' WITH DANILA KOZLOVSKY AND WW2 HEROIC STORY 'PANFILOV'S TWENTY EIGHT'

EPIC 'VIKING' TRAILER

WILL LEAVE YOU STUNNED

Two exquisitely immersing Russian trailers for you today, starting with the mesmerizing trailer for new Russian epic VIKING which arrives into theatres December 2016 starring their biggest star Danila Kozlovsky as prince Vladimir and THE WOLVERINE's Svetlana Khodchenkova!

History is a symptom of our disease. From the time of heavy swords and dark laws of blood, when the pressure of great chaos gave rise to heroes. From the Dark Ages came the story that changed the world forever.

 Set in the 10th century Kievan Russia it follows young VIKING prince Vladimir Novgorod  who is exiled into the snowy regions across the frozen sea after the death of his  father. One of the most expensive movies ever made in Russia took almost 5 years to be made directed by famous Russian director Andrey Kravchuk!

'PANFILOV'S TWENTY EIGHT'

WW2 HEROIC RUSSIAN DRAMA

The second one is for the World War II Russian action epic movie PANFILOV'S TWENTY EIGHT which tells the heroic story of 28 brave Russian soldiers who single handedly managed to destroy 18 Nazi tanks which were on their way to wreck havoc on Moscow in Autumn 1941! It took three years to produce this historical epic!