Tetris: release date, cast, storyline, trailer release, and everything you need to know.

The 2023 biographical thriller film Tetris is based on actual events surrounding the competition to patent and license the Tetris video game from Russia in the late 1980s, during the height of the Cold War. Written by Noah Pink, it was directed by Jon S. Baird. Taron Egerton, Nikita Efremov, Sofia Lebedeva, and Anthony Boyle are the film’s stars.

Tetris debuted on March 15, 2023, at the SXSW Film Festival. It was made available on March 31 by Apple TV+. Critics gave the movie mostly favorable reviews.

What are the similarities between Tetris, Mario, and Minecraft? All of them rank among the best-selling video games ever made, with the most recent game having sold over 200 million copies since its 1984 release. Since then, the block-dropping puzzle game has established itself as a mainstay in the history of video games, inspiring several documentaries and contests with its straightforward yet immensely addicting gameplay. While most people are aware of the game’s Soviet roots, some may not be aware that the series served as the focal point of a global legal dispute involving several nations.

Tetris, an upcoming film available only on Apple TV+, seeks to narrate the origin story of the puzzle game.

Let us just say that it will not be a resounding success. Unlawful licensing agreements, global interests, and geopolitical divides will undoubtedly provide an amazing look into how Tetris became so successful. It is difficult to believe that a puzzle game with such a basic plot could also have one as complex. Still, here we are.

All the information regarding the impending Tetris biopic is as follows.

Release Date

On March 15, 2023, the movie had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival.[13] On March 31, 2023, it debuted on Apple TV+.[14] In its first two days, Tetris attracted 88,000 viewers, according to a Samba TV research panel of 3.1 million smart television households that tuned in for at least one minute.

Plot

Henk Rogers of Bullet-Proof Software falls in love with the Soviet game Tetris in 1988 while attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Alexey Pajitnov, a programmer for the Soviet Union’s state-owned ELORG, invented the game. Rogers discloses to a bank manager that media magnate Robert Maxwell and his son, CEO of Mirrorsoft Kevin Maxwell, have a deal with Andromeda Software’s Robert Stein, which allows them to sell Tetris in exchange for game royalties. Stein secured the worldwide licensing rights to Tetris from ELORG. In the meantime, Rogers is selling the Tetris licenses for PC, console, and arcade in Japan to the Mirrorsoft representative at CES.

Rogers suggests a collaboration to create Tetris for the Nintendo Famicom and arcade games during a meeting with Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi. Kevin calls Rogers shortly after production starts to convey that Sega has already been promised the arcade rights. Rogers goes back to Yamauchi and requests his residuals up front. Rather, he is brought to the Nintendo of America headquarters in Seattle, where he is shown the company’s next portable gadget, the Game Boy, which will be unveiled alongside Super Mario Land. Rogers pledges to get the handheld licensing rights and persuades General Counsel Howard Lincoln and President Minoru Arakawa to package it with Tetris instead.

Rogers makes his way to London to meet with the Maxwells, who inform him that Stein still holds all rights to worldwide licensing. Stein accepts Rogers’ offer of $25,000 for the global handheld rights. Alexey Pajitnov and Rogers meet for their initial encounter. Rogers accepts Pajitnov’s grudging invitation to return to his place, where they quickly become friends. After Pajitnov brings Rogers to a Moscow nightclub, Rogers assists Pajitnov in refining the mechanics of the game. A woman claims that change is on the way and that Estonia is rebelling against the Soviet Union.

To negotiate the rights, Belikov meets individually with Rogers, Stein, and Kevin. Belikov is informed by Rogers that Stein took advantage of the original contract’s ambiguous definition of a PC to sell the rights to video gaming consoles. Belikov should define a PC as a device with a keyboard, monitor, and disk drive, Rogers suggests. Belikov drafts a new contract with Stein that increases the ELORG’s PC royalties and includes the definition of a PC. Eager to discuss handheld rights, Stein signs the revised contract without noticing the new language.

Cast

Henk Rogers, played by Taron Egerton
Alexey Pajitnov, played by Nikita Yefremov
Sofia Lebedeva portraying Sasha
Kevin Maxwell, played by Anthony Boyle
Ben Miles in the role of Abraham Lincoln
Miniu Arakawa, played by Ken Yamamura
Valery Trifonov, played by Igor Grabuzov
Nikolai Belikov, played by Oleg Shtefanko
Akemi Rogers, played by Ayane Nagabuchi
Eddie, played by Rick Yune (billed as bank manager)
Robert Maxwell played by Roger Allam
Robert Stein, played by Toby Jones
As Hiroshi Yamauchi, Togo Igawa
Mikhail Gorbachev, played by Matthew Marsh
Nina Pajitnov, played by Ieva Andrejevaite
Maya Rogers, played by Kanon Narumi

As previously stated, Taron Egerton will play a major role in the ensemble cast. He appears to be able to take the impending threat of Soviet Russia seriously while also adding a captivating charm to the sleek businessman character in the role of Henk Rogers. It is interesting to note that Egerton has certain expertise that specifically qualifies him for the part. His portrayal of Eggsy in the Kingsman film series solidified his status as a capable action performer with a side interest in geopolitics. Egerton received accolades for his portrayal of Elton John in the 2019 movie Rocketman, in which he sang throughout the whole movie in addition to perfectly capturing the eccentric figure’s demeanor.

The man who invented Tetris, Alexey Pajitnov, is another important character. Being a computer scientist by profession, he frequently created games to see how well the equipment he worked with performed. As a result of his efforts, he was indirectly inspired to create Tetris, since he had played a game like it when he was younger. The actor Nikita Efremov, who was born in Russia, will play Pajitnov. He was also a major part of the war-themed drama Ballada o bombere and the Russian series Londongrad. Given that he and Henk Rogers went on to form The Tetris Company in 1996, we may anticipate that he will have a significant role in the movie on par with Rogers.

What Is Tetris About?

There is a real tale behind Tetris. In 1988, Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) invented Tetris. He travels to the Soviet Union at great danger, teaming up with game designer Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov) to introduce the game to the public. Producer Matthew Vaughn discussed the movie with Collider in 2021. Here is what he had to say:

“This is an incredible, outstanding novel thriller. Imagine The Big Short Meets Bridge of Spies, that is how it feels. It is a kind of strange, original tale.

Who’s Making Tetris?

The Apple TV+ original is directed by Jon S. Braid (Stan & Ollie), while Noah Pink (Genius) wrote the screenplay. Producers of the movie include Claudia Shiffer (The Kingsman franchise, Rocketman), Matthew Vaughn (The Kingsman franchise), Gillian Berrie (Hell or High Water), Gregor Cameron (Kill Your Friends), and Len Blavatnik (Love, Lizzo). Executive producer Lain MacKenzie (Kick-Ass, Eddie the Eagle). Lorne Balfe wrote the film’s soundtrack, while Alwin H. Küchler handled photography and Colin Goudie, Ben Mills, and Martin Walsh handled editing.

Who’s In the Cast of Tetris?

Taron Egerton plays Henk Rogers, the main character of Tetris. Moyo Akande (Up on the Roof), Toby Jones (The Pale Blue Eye), Rick Yune (Alita: Battle Angel), Igor Grabuzov (No Looking Back), Miles Barrow (The Peripheral), Aaron Vodovoz (The King’s Man), Sofya Lebedeva (Vikings: Valhalla), and Leva Andrejevaite (Rusalki) are among those who will be accompanying him.

More Films You Can Stream Now on Apple TV+

The film selection on Apple TV+ is excellent and well worth your time. Look at these four suggestions in the meantime before playing Tetris. From Oscar-nominated cartoon efforts to Best Picture dramas, these four films have it all:

Cha Real Smooth (2022): Written, directed, and starring as himself, Cooper Raiff is the creative force behind this stunning picture. A man named Andrew (Raiff) hosts bar mitzvah parties. He becomes friends with Dakota Johnson, a young woman, and Vanessa Burghardt, her adolescent daughter. The film explores the theme of finding love and how we can be searching in the wrong places as individuals.

Watch the Tetris Trailer

 On February 16, 2023, Apple TV+ unveiled the first official Tetris trailer, providing us with about three minutes of content that showcases the surprisingly humorous and mature tones. Watch the teaser below:

Where and When Is Tetris Releasing?

Apple TV+ will debut Tetris on March 31, 2023. As of right now, the movie has no scheduled theatrical release date, which suggests that it will only be available on Apple TV+. Tetris appears to be an exception to the rule, unlike certain movies like Netflix’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery or Apple’s own Best Picture winner, CODA, which had short theatrical runs.

Everything Else We Know

Since July 2020, Tetris has been in development; its development was probably influenced by the global coronavirus outbreak. As far as we know, this movie has nothing to do with Larry Kasanoff’s proposed Tetris trilogy. There has been total radio quiet since 2016, despite rumors that Kasanoff’s first Tetris movie would be made in China with an 80-million-dollar budget. If the project has not been discreetly abandoned, we can probably infer that it has either been put on indefinite hold or canceled.