The first shots with Nikita Efremov appeared in the series “Tetris”

The project was called the new “Chernobyl”, but obviously hurried

The trailer of the series “Tetris” seemed so promising to some that the project was nicknamed almost the new “Chernobyl”. Perhaps this is too flattering assessment of the show dedicated to the history of the worldwide success of a computer game. But Nikita Efremov is again very convincing among the late-Soviet scenery.

In addition to Efremov, other Russian artists also starred in the British-American series: Igor Grabuzov, Sofia Lebedeva and Oleg Shtefanko. Such an international is probably due to the fact that Tetris was filmed back in 2021, that is, at a time when the industry treated Russian passports a little differently.

Nikita Efremov plays a rather significant role in the series, namely the Soviet programmer Alexei Pajitnov, who created the legendary puzzle in 1984. The main character, Irish game designer Hank Rogers, who glorified the game all over the world, was reincarnated as Taron Egerton, who became a real star after Kingsman and Rocketman.

Fragments of the “Soviet” scenes included in the trailer look very intriguing, but rather amuse than set up for a serious drama. A Zhiguli with the main characters rushes along the gray Moscow streets to the famous Final Countdown hit by Europe, extremely unpleasant types, symbolizing Soviet officials, say: “You are all here only for the sake of money”, Mikhail Gorbachev appears in the frame, tanks drive along Red Square under huge portrait of Lenin.

The comedic flair of what is happening is difficult to hide, which is not surprising, because the creators of the series became famous for their ability to laugh rather than bring to tears. Director John Baird is best known for the black comedy The Filth based on the book by Irving Welsh, as well as the film Stan and Ollie, where there are also many reasons for laughter. Producer Matthew Vaughn has worked on some of Guy Ritchie’s films, and has directed, including all three Kingsman films. In addition, the very history of the game “Tetris” is not replete with heartbreaking details.

Aleksey Pajitnov, of course, did not immediately begin to receive royalties for his development (they didn’t know such a word in the USSR), but, having moved to America, he made an enviable career as a game developer, still lives overseas and, most likely, enjoys his well-deserved success.

Judging by the trailer, the Soviet line (these episodes were drawn on a computer or filmed in Glasgow, Scotland, “made up” as Moscow) is not the most important. In addition to Soviet bureaucrats and KGB agents, the protagonist had to face no less terrible capitalists from gaming giants – the Japanese Nintendo and the American Atari. And the world of big business can also be a good backdrop for comedy.

For Nikita Efremov, the Tetris series is yet another entry into late Soviet territory. The actor has already done this in the Russian project Patient Zero, for which he received many compliments from critics. There are a lot of Efremov in the first shots of Tetris, and it must be admitted that the image of a Soviet programmer from the eighties suits him very well too.