Andrey Zvyagintsev, the Russian filmmaker behind “Loveless” and “Leviathan,” will be directing his next film, “Jupiter,” in Spain and France next spring.
“Jupiter,” set in the seemingly impenetrable world of the ultra-wealthy, is being 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 had ever wrapped shooting.
Zvyagintsev is a two-time Oscar nominee known for briliant 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”.