Russian Box-Office Boom

The most successful film at the box office in Russia in 2008 was the romantic comedy Irony of Fate — the Sequel, which made just under $50 million.   In second place was Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa ($40.7 million) followed by Admiral, which starred Konstantin Khabensky as anti-Bolshevik leader Admiral Kolchak ($33.7 million), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor ($27.7 million) and the spoof film The Very Best Film ($27.6 million).

 Russian Film Business Today publisher Alexander Semenov told Variety that the Russian box office was expected to continue to grow in 2009, but at a slower rate due to the falling value of the rouble and the effect of the global recession on the construction of new cinemas and multiplexes – a key factor in 2008’s box office growth.

 Other Russian films that performed well at the box office in 2008 included the cartoon Ilya Muromets I Solovey-Razboynik and the musical comedy Hitler Kaput!.  Successful foreign films were Uzbek-born director Timur Bekmambetov’s Wanted and Hancock. [ADD]

2009

Russia: 2009