News Notes

A new folk-tale inspired action film beat box office records this winter, despite pandemic restrictions on cinema occupancy levels.

The Last Warrior: Root of Evil, a sequel to the 2017 original, earned one billion rubles ($13.2 million) in just six days after opening on New Year’s Day. The winter holidays are normally a time when the most promising movies must battle it out in cinemas as bored Russians struggle to pass the time (especially thus year, as most were unable to travel).

An added challenge this year was that ticket sales were limited to 25 percent of cinema hall capacity. But The Last Warrior checked all the boxes for a wide range of audiences, from children to adults, thanks to its light genre and elements of fantasy (including a creepy incarnation of Kolobok, the doughy folk character who runs away from his baker, seeking adventure).