The Master and Margarita (2024 film)

The Master and Margarita is an upcoming film based on Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita,[2] starring August Diehl and directed by Michael Lockshin.

The Master and Margarita
First poster of the film The Master and Margarita, formerly known as Woland. A silhouette of a man poses sitting on a golden star, with his legs crossed. He is holding a walking stick. The poster is dark with some red light shining on the man.
First teaser poster with the previous title
RussianМа́стер и Маргари́та
Directed byMichael Lockshin
Screenplay by
Based onThe Master and Margarita
by Mikhail Bulgakov
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMaxim Zhukov
Distributed byMars Media
Release date
  • January 25, 2024 (2024-01-25)
CountryRussia
LanguageRussian
BudgetUS$15,000,000[1]

The film’s release has been pushed multiple times and is currently scheduled for early 2024.[3]

Premise

Moscow, 1930s.

A prominent writer's works are suddenly censored by the Soviet state and the premiere of his theatrical play about Pontius Pilate is canceled. He's kicked out of the Soviet Writer's Union, and quickly turns into an outcast with no means to survive.

Inspired by Margarita - his lover, he begins working on a new novel in which all the characters are satirically reinterpreted from his life. The novel's central character is Woland - a mystical dark force who visits Moscow to revenge all those who caused the writer's downfall.

As the Master sinks himself deeper and deeper into his novel, adding himself and Margarita as characters, he gradually stops noticing as the border between reality and his imagination fades away.

Cast

Main cast

Behemoth will be created using CGI, while his "reality" version will be played by a Maine Coon named Kyesha.[4]

Secondary roles
  • Leonid Yarmolnik as Doctor Stravinsky, director of the insane asylum
  • Igor Vernik as Bengalsky, one of the guests at Woland's show of black magic
  • Marat Basharov as Likhodeyev, director of the Théâtre des Variétés
  • Aleksei Guskov as Baron Maigel, the sacrifice
  • Yevgeny Knyazev as Berlioz, director of the organization MASSOLIT (Mass Socialist Literature) and Homeless' acquaintance
  • Danil Steklov as poet Bezdomny (Homeless), a naive young poet that Woland first meets in Moscow,
  • Aleksandr Yatsenko as Aloisy Mogarych, a journalist friend of the Writer
  • Dmitriy Lysenkov as Latunsky, one of the critics who destroys the Writer's career
  • Pavel Vorozhtsov as Varenukha, administrator of the Variety Theater
  • Valery Kukhareshin as Rimsky, financial director of the Variety Theater

Production

In 2018, the film was announced as being in production, with 2 major Russian producers helming the project: Ruben Dishdishyan and Igor Tolstunov. Russian film director Nikolai Lebedev was set to direct. By 2020, however, the project still had not taken off. At some point in the project, Lebedev had left the project.

Instead, Michael Lockshin, director of The Silver Skates co-wrote a new script with Roman Kantor in 2020 and directed the film in 2021. The new script intertwined the novel with Bulgakov's life. The film was called Woland. The producers were Ruben Dishdishyan, Igor Tolstunov and Leonard Blavatnik.

In July 2021 it was announced that August Diehl will be playing Woland.[1]

Filming began in July 2021 in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Malta, and concluded in October 2021.[5][6]

Mars Media announced that the film would be released on January 1, 2023, with Universal Pictures acting as distributor.[7][8]

In August 2022, it was announced that the release date would be pushed to late 2023, due to Universal Pictures leaving Russia over the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and problems with funding the film's post-production. [9][10][11] In July 2023, it was announced that the film would be pushed once again to 25 January 2024.[3]

In April 2023 the producers announced that they would change the title of the film from Woland to The Master and Margarita.

References
  1. Grater, Tom (22 July 2021). "'A Hidden Life' Actor August Diehl Starring In $15M Russian Drama 'Woland'". Deadline. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  2. Korsakov, Denis. "Фильм «Воланд» 2022: в новой экранизации «Мастера и Маргариты» будет мало от романа Булгакова" [The film Woland (2022): in the new adaptation of "The Master and Margarita", there won't be much from Bulgakov's novel]. Komsomolskaya Pravda (in Russian). Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  3. "Названа дата премьеры фильма по роману Булгакова "Мастер и Маргарита"". RIA Novosti (in Russian). 10 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  4. "В фильме "Воланд" будет два кота Бегемота" ["There will be two Behemoths in the film "Woland"]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 26 August 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  5. "Юлия Снигирь объявила о завершении съемок фильма "Воланд"" ["Yuliya Snigir announced the conclusion of shooting for the film "Woland"]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 8 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  6. Vakhromeyev, Sergey. "Съемки фильма "Воланд" завершились в Петербурге" ["Filming of the film "Woland" has concluded in St Petersburg]. St. Petersburg Dnevnik (in Russian). Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  7. "«ВОЛАНД» ВЫЙДЕТ В ПРОКАТ 1 ЯНВАРЯ 2023 ГОДА" ["Woland will be released on January 1st 2023]. Mars Media Official Site (in Russian). 20 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  8. "Стало известно, когда выйдет фильм "Воланд"" ["The release date of the film "Woland" has been made public]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 20 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  9. "«Воланд» Михаила Локшина не получил поддержку Фонда кино" ["Woland" by Michael Lockshin to not receive funding from Cinema Fond]. portal-kultura.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  10. Gimashev, Linar (10 August 2022). "Фильм «Воланд» может вообще не выйти" [The film "Woland" might not be released]. Plugged In (in Russian). Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  11. Corcoran, Jason. "6 months into the Ukraine war, Russia's film industry is on life support". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
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