‘The Master and Margarita’ Adaptation Gets Long-Awaited U.S. Theatrical Release After Legal Battle (EXCLUSIVE)
Michael Lockshin's Russian-language film adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita" is finally set for a US theatrical release on 18 September, following a prolonged legal dispute. Luminosity Pictures will distribute the restored director's cut, ending years of uncertainty over whether the acclaimed film would reach American cinemas. The release matters because the film's themes of censorship and resistance under an authoritarian state have taken on renewed significance amid its own turbulent path to distribution.
Lockshin finished the film shortly before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and by its January 2024 release the Kremlin deemed its content too controversial, criticising both the director, an outspoken Ukraine supporter, and the film itself while demanding cuts. Despite this, it became the highest-grossing 18+ release in Russian box office history. Sanctions against Russia and competing claims over rights to Bulgakov's original text then delayed international distribution, though the film has since screened in Germany, Austria, Sweden and Italy. It stars August Diehl, Yevgeny Tsyganov, Yuliya Snigir and Claes Bang, with Lockshin directing from a script he co-wrote with Roman Kantor.
In short
- "The Master and Margarita" film gets US release on 18 September
- Kremlin previously deemed its censorship themes too controversial
- Legal and rights disputes delayed international distribution for years
Explained simply
"The Master and Margarita" is a celebrated Russian novel by Mikhail Bulgakov that explores censorship and resistance under an authoritarian state. The novel's themes have made it enduringly significant in discussions about freedom and power. Director Michael Lockshin's film is a Russian-language adaptation of this important work.
Lockshin's film has gained attention not just for its artistic qualities but because it has itself faced the very governmental censorship that the novel portrays. Released in Russia in early 2024, the film was criticised by authorities and the government demanded alterations, yet it became the highest-grossing 18+ release in the Russian box office that year. This real-world parallel to the novel's themes of resistance has made the film particularly resonant.
The film's path to international distribution has been complicated by international sanctions against Russia and legal disputes over rights to Bulgakov's text. Whilst it has screened in several European countries, reaching American cinemas has been significantly delayed. Its U.S. theatrical release comes after years of uncertainty about whether it would ever reach American audiences.
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