Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Next Film, ‘Jupiter,’ Shooting in April

Andrey Zvyagintsev, the Russian filmmaker behind “Loveless” and “Leviathan,” was a guest of honor at the Marrakech Film Festival. That’s where he confirmed that his next film, titled “Jupiter,” will be starting production in April.

Here’s Zvyagintsev, elaborating further on certain details of the film, although he’s still very hush-hush about giving away too much about it:

So, what I can tell you is that I’m planning to shoot in the spring of 2024, in April, May, June, and no doubt I’ll still have a few scenes to do in the autumn. I’ll be shooting in France, I’ll be shooting in Spain, in Palma de Mallorca. That’s where I scouted out where I wanted to shoot. And so, as far as the content of the film is concerned, we’re going to delve into the life of a very wealthy man, into his intimate life, into the conditions in which he lives. We’ll delve into his family.

There’s him, his wife, his child, and there will be a fourth person. But I never say what the film is about beforehand, because I want it to remain a surprise for the viewer. I would like the viewer to discover the film as if they were opening a box. And so it’s complicated to tell you anything more than that. It’s about this life of oligarchs. All I can tell you is that we’re going to stay with a Russian mentality. In any case, he’s in a context of patriarchy, a patriarchy that’s also very particular because we’re in another world. He’s not at home; he’s also in Europe.

“Jupiter” is said to be set in the seemingly impenetrable world of the ultra-wealthy, and has been described by the producers as an “unrelenting exploration of power and corruption.” The movie will tell the story of a Russian oligarch’s reckoning with the harsh reality of his family’s future.

Zvyagintsev said “Jupiter” will be a “very modern story” which “goes beyond today’s political context.” “The nature of absolute power is a universal theme, and through this prism we can look at any cultural landscape or historical era,” Zvyagintsev continued.

Last year, Zvyagintsev was in a medically-induced coma in Germany after undergoing treatment for a severe case of COVID. The filmmaker was in very serious condition, having suffered damage to 92 percent of his lungs.

The filmmaker was also in the middle of production for his film, “What Happens,” which was going to be his English-language debut. The feature was included in an unveiled slate from Russian mega-producer Alexander Rodnyansky alongside a Steven Soderbergh co-production.

Rodynansky went on social media and promised the film would be completed “outside of Russia.” There’s been no update about the film since then. I’d love to know if it ever wrapped shooting.

Zvyagintsev is a two-time Oscar nominee known for masterful Russian cinema. He won the Venice Film Festival’s main prize in 2003 for “The Return” and the Cannes Film Festival’s Jury Prize in 2017 for “Loveless”.