Which one: Alexander Petrov revived the space pirate
Filming of a new film from the fantasy universe "One Hundred Years Ahead" starring Alexander Petrov has ended in Moscow. The story of his character, Jolly Wu, has been continued.: The hero himself is a new enemy, and the audience is a fascinating space attraction with a generous portion of humor, Easter eggs and special effects. Our report from the set tells how director Alexander Andryushchenko revived the space pirate after his death in the first film, what 12-year—old Miron Provorov taught the crew, and whether Alexander Petrov looked back at the image of Vyacheslav Nevinny in the Soviet film adaptation.
One hundred years of that merry fellow
It's a sunny spring day outside. Employees of the Mosfilm film concern are casually going to work, and at this time, a fierce battle of universal proportions is unfolding in Pavilion 16 between the already familiar to the viewer, the Merry Man Wu (Alexander Petrov) and the powerful space warrior Theo (Nikita Efremov). This is one of the key episodes of the new film directed by Alexander Andryushchenko, which is entirely dedicated to the story of Petrov's character.
Alexander Andryushchenko
— The idea of a sequel appeared immediately after the release of "One Hundred years Ahead". The film turned out to be a success, and it became clear from the audience's reaction that the universe requires development. During the year we were looking for options — so a separate picture about the Merry Man was born," the director told Izvestia.
The latest film adaptation of the adventures of Alice Selezneva and Kolya Gerasimov from the books by Kir Bulychev grossed more than 1.5 billion rubles and attracted 4.3 million viewers. And the Merry Man, according to Andryushchenko, has become one of the most beloved characters. Therefore, as the vocalist of the British band Queen Freddie Mercury sang, show must go on.
An attentive viewer may object, because the space pirate died in the finale of the previous part. Alexander has an answer for this.:
"He died in the dark future. And what happened to the one who had his arm cut off at school in 2024? That's his story we're telling.
So, outside the window is a modern but alternative Moscow. Veselchak U got stuck on the Ground after a clash with the Seleznev family and the guys from the capital's school. As before, he dreams of getting a legion and leading a Pirate Alliance. But now the powerful space warrior Theo, as well as the boy Yura, who, along with his mother Katya, is mysteriously connected to Cosmion, stand in his way.
According to the director, the story of the Merry Man goes even further from the literary source of Kir Bulychev. Andryushchenko wrote the script together with Andrey Zolotarev and Aksinya Borisova. They allowed themselves to rethink the writer's legacy, to think about and modernize a lot.
Boxing, "little brothers" and humor
The filmmakers called in the journalists at the end of the filming period, so we didn't find the usual fuss for filmmakers. However, according to Andryushchenko, he does not have a nervous situation on the court: he spends a lot of time preparing and does not like to waste other people's resources.
— I don't have strict rules on the court. But I take my preparation very seriously. I've been putting together a team for a long time, because cinema is a collective and expensive business. Every minute costs a lot of money, and it needs to be used with maximum benefit and love for the audience," says the director.
To confirm his words, there is a giant stand with storyboards. They show animated characters of the scene that is supposed to be filmed that day. By the time of our visit, most of it had already been crossed out with a black marker.
While the band was preparing for the final scenes, Miron Provorov was technically boxing in the back of the pavilion. He's only 12, but he's already starred in 25 films.
— My hero Yura is a very kind boy. He loves his mother, he always helps her. Yura is not a bully, but he can fight back if necessary," Miron told Izvestia.
Provorov himself is engaged in taekwondo, karate and MMA, sings and plays musical instruments. But on the set, he is not just a "big artist of a small age," as he calls himself, but also a trendsetter. Myron has his own tradition: from day one, he addresses everyone as "little brothers." At first, people are embarrassed, but then they take the initiative and greet each other the same way.
Miron Provorov
The journalists did not have to wait long for the demonstration. During the interview, Miron shouted to the team: "Hey, little brothers!" — and instantly received in response: "Yes, brother, we love you!" According to the actor, there is a lot of humor in the picture — and the fun was not only in the frame, but also beyond it.
— Alexander Petrov is a very funny man, just like his character. He and Nikita Efremov are generally similar: if our shifts coincide, the day is definitely going great," Miron added.
Petrov's Benefit and the Innocent's Legacy
Alexander Petrov joined the reporters at the end of his shift. But in his hero's costume: a torn ear with earrings, a branded mohawk and a hoodie with an astronaut dog, on the helmet of which the letters of the USSR are emblazoned.
— It seems to me that this is generally a benefit, and not only for the hero, but also for me, because the range of circumstances offered is huge. It's a pure acting thrill. Everything that can happen to a Funny guy happens. We'll finally find out what happened to him, where he's from, and what happens next. And I hope this is just the beginning of a big movie universe," the actor confessed to Izvestia.
Alexander Petrov
More than 40 years ago, another actor appeared in the image of the Merry Man — Vyacheslav Nevinny, People's Artist of the USSR, member of the Moscow Art Theater. The filmmakers admit that they watched the Soviet film adaptation, but did not plan a remake.
— It's hard to beat an innocent, and you don't have to try. Sasha and I were building another hero," said Andryushchenko.
And Alexander Petrov added that it would be a mistake to look back at his previous work.:
— It's brilliant and should remain untouched. What the Innocent created is already embedded in our DNA. It was a huge leap to the stars, for which I am immensely grateful to him. And it certainly helps.
It is curious that the hero of the Innocent in the film kept drinking kefir from a glass bottle, and the Merry Petrova prefers fermented milk.
Space bike and Easter eggs
The lion's share of the film is based on the visual component: LED screens, computer graphics, spaceships, an alien motorcycle, complex makeup. All this should convince the viewer that Russian fiction is necessary today and is at a high level. To the delight of his fans, Andryushchenko promised a lot of humor and Easter eggs for both the studio's films and Bulychev's universe.
The biggest detail of the props is Theo's neon yellow motorcycle, which resembles Batman's transport. It was completely created by the project's team of artists. The color was not chosen by chance: it is aggressive and corresponds to the character of a space warrior.
— First we made a concept, then a model. It was disassembled into parts and printed on a 3D printer. In parallel, the frame was welded, an electric motor was created, and the base was assembled. After that, everything was painted, sheathed and added props," production designer Nikita Burmistrov told Izvestia.
The motorcycle is powered by a conventional 12-volt battery, like an electric scooter, and accelerates to 60 km/h.
But the creators did not limit themselves to one fantastic prop. Together with makeup artists, special tattoos and plates were created for space characters, fixed on the faces of the heroes.
Alexander Petrov
— Iria was the most difficult character: she has a lot of tattoos and details embedded in her body, some elements even glow. Iria and Niraxa spent the longest time in makeup— four hours each. Alexander Petrov and Nikita Efremov — for one and a half to two hours each," makeup artist Maria Tutukina told Izvestia.
While we were talking with the production designers, artists kept passing by us - it seemed to be the same. It turned out that this was not a figment of the imagination: Alexander Petrov and Nikita Efremov each had several understudies. One was driving a motorcycle, the other was involved in mass scenes, and the third was in close—ups. Petrov even has an acrobatic understudy, a professional acrobat and break dancer, so he's also a bit of a dancer. At the same time, all the actors wanted to perform the stunts on their own, but the creators decided not to take any chances.
The earthly adventures of the space pirate Veselchak U will be released on April 15, 2027.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
