Disney is considering an active expansion in Russia in the coming years.
Following the successful release of its first feature film fully produced in Russia, called The Book of Masters, and a recent launch of its own cable channel, the company is considering implementing several other Russian projects.
The company plans to shoot two to three films in Russia per year, using the services of local directors and actors.
The features will be children’s films as well as youth and family movies. According to Maria Zhigalova-Ozkan, head of Disney Russia, all of these films will primarily be targeted for the Russian audience.
In the short term, Disney is considering two new projects in Russia: a modern musical comedy for youth audience and an adventure film. Timing of its releases, as well as other details of the projects, haven’t been disclosed.
Currently, Disney is actively searching for Russian film directors for its projects.
The company is said to be unhappy with the current skill level of Russian directors in the field of production of family movies, and is even considering organising its own directing courses. Such courses might be organized at the base of All-Russia Moscow State Institute of Cinematography.
The company has not ruled out the possibility of inviting of foreign specialists of Disney for lecturing at the new courses, as well as Russian specialists such as Vladimir Grammatikov, a famous Soviet and Russian film director, actor and producer, who was recently appointed as a creative producer of Disney Russia.
During the Soviet times, a segment of fairy tale films and family films was one of the most developed in the Soviet cinematography, however since the collapse of the USSR, shooting of such movies has virtually stopped.
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