(Source: http://tjournal.ru/paper)

The Russian company “Direktsiya Kino” (“Cinema Directorate”) plans to shoot a historical film called “Viking”. This film applies for financial support of the Federal Foundation for Social and Economic Support of National Cinema. According to the producer Anatoly Maksimov, the events of the film take place in the early Middle Ages. “Such films as “Game of Thrones”, “Lord of the Rings” keep up the interest to this epoch in the world” - he noted. “Our film will make it possible to dive into the depths of our own past”.

“Many people think that Russia began with the Empire in the XVIII century, and only sagas existed before this” – Maksimov stressed. “We wanted to make an interesting movie, lively, almost documentary, it is based on “The Tale of Bygone Years”.

“The leading roles in the film will be played by Maksim Sukhanov and Danila Kozlovsky. “Our film is unfinished, but we are trying to make it beautiful” - the producer added. He noted that the work on the film has already lasted for several years, the casting is completed, all filming locations are chosen, the most part of the costumes are sewn.

The total cost of the project is 1.225 billion roubles. The filmmakers have already received 232 million roubles from the Cinema Foundation, now they are asking for another 190 million roubles. The film is created jointly with the First Channel. Nine Russian film companies were chosen the leaders of domestic film production in April, 2014. According to the decision of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, the list includes “ART Pictures Studio”, “Cinema Directorate”, “TRITE” Studio of Nikita Mikhalkov”, “Igor Tolstunov’s Production Company”, “STV” Film Company”, “Central Partnership”, “Non Stop Production”, “ TaBBaK”,  “Enjoy Movies”. This year the Cinema Foundation will allocate 3 billion roubles to film companies. The leading companies will receive 1.2 billion roubles of this amount for film production on an irrevocable basis and 700 million roubles on the basis of 100 per cent return. Other companies will be allocated 1 billion roubles, the half of which will be given on a returnable basis.