In France, an illegal screening of the film directed by Mikhail Lokshin "The Master and Margarita" took place. This is stated in the statement of the Mars Media production company.
"The copyright holders of The Master and Margarita film officially declare that the special screening of the film held in France has not been coordinated and has nothing to do with the official international distribution of the picture," the statement said.
It is specified that so far the rights to the film have been sold to several countries, screenings were held in Italy, Turkey and Israel. The film is scheduled to be released in France later.
"The producers of the film will file a lawsuit against the showrunners who have violated legal norms," the company also warns.
The premiere of the film "The Master and Margarita" took place on January 25 this year. Almost immediately there was information that the director of the film "The Master and Margarita" Mikhail Lokshin actively cares for Ukraine. According to the Readovka telegram channel, Lokshin, who from the first day of the special military operation took an active pro-Ukrainian position, continued to shoot the picture and did not refuse the money of the "aggressor country". In the director's social networks, posts have been preserved both in support of Navalny and with sympathy for Ukraine. Moreover, he published a number of posts during the filming of the film, without experiencing any dissonance at all.
After the scandal broke out, the production companies of the Master and Margarita project — Mars Media and Profit — issued a joint statement. They explained that the film began shooting in 2018, and the entire shooting process was completed in the fall of 2021 — before the start of a special military operation. At the same time, the director, who later began publishing posts in support of Ukraine, went back to the United States, of which he is a citizen.
As reported by EADaily, in early November it became known that "The Master and Margarita" is heading to the American Film Market (AFM) to find a Western distributor. Luminosity Pictures joined the project as a sales agent.