Yuliana Slashcheva, head of Soyuzmultfilm and Gorky Film Studio, revealed in an interview with RBC the studio's plans to create a domestic superhero universe that will be an answer to the successful Marvel and DC cinematic universes.
Soyuzmultfilm plans to significantly expand its horizons and create its first superhero cinematic universe, collaborating with the famous writer Sergei Lukyanenko, author of "Night Watch." The project includes six films and a series, possibly with several seasons, and will be a direct response to the Marvel and DC cinematic universes.
The studio plans to draw inspiration from Soviet science fiction, such works as "Aelita," "Solaris," and other classic books. The cinematic universe will include films, books, comics, animation, and games.
Sergei Lukyanenko and his colleague, writer Sergei Volkov, have developed a franchise based on the works of great Soviet science fiction writers: Alexander Belyaev, Alexei Tolstoy, and a bit of Pavel Bazhov.
The project is in the stage of finalizing scripts for the first two films. The entire next year, the team will be engaged in pre-production, including casting, developing the visual style, and other aspects of the franchise.
Production of the first films will begin in 2026, with a budget of 1 to 1.2 billion rubles per film, which corresponds to the standards of major blockbusters. Filming will take place with an interval of one year, and a series will be released after the first film.
Modernization of the Gorky Film Studio
Slashcheva also said that the modernization of the Gorky Film Studio in 2024 will cost 19 billion rubles. The work will be completed in early 2026, with some facilities starting to function as early as August 2025. The main part of the funds will be directed to the construction of a new film production complex on Valdai Proezd, as well as to the reconstruction of facilities on Eisenstein Street in Moscow.
The project includes the creation of new buildings, including a multi-tasking production complex on six floors and a three-story costume and prop center. The cinema hall damaged in the fire will also be restored, which will open in August 2025. As a result of the modernization, the area of the studio will double, creating about 100 thousand square meters of infrastructure for film production.
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