Netflix adapts Tolstoy for first Russian original
May 26, 2021
By Nik Roseveare
Netflix has announced its first Russian Original drama series, with the working title ANNA K. The series is a contemporary retelling of Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel Anna Karenina. Svetlana Khodchenkova is set to play the lead role.
Michael Azzolino, Director Original Series at Netflix, commented: “We are incredibly proud to announce our first Russian series with 1-2-3 Production. The talented team of writers, directors and producers have crafted an imaginative and immersive series. We are excited to help bring their vision for this much admired story to our members in Russia and the world.”
Valeriy Fedorovich and Evgeniy Nikishov of 1-2-3 Production, added in a joint statement: “We are extremely honored that our team has been entrusted with the creation of the first commissioned Russian TV drama series for the leading global entertainment service with over 200 million members. This endeavor is beyond exciting and challenging, but since the backbone of the future series is based on one of the world’s fundamental pieces of literature dedicated to love, we are hopeful that we will be able to touch the hearts of viewers from Australia to Brazil. We are armed with a great script adaptation by Roman Kantor and Maria Mikulina and top talent both in front and behind the camera, including co-directors Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov. We fully trust our team and are confident that the result will exceed expectations. It is our first experience working hand-in-hand with the Netflix team, and we are very inspired by the synergy we’ve already established and what will come out of it.”
The series will launch on Netflix globally with a premiere date to be announced.