Upon the Magic Roads

The story begins with an old farmer calling out his three sons and showing them a trampled field of wheat. The father instructs his sons to stand guard at night, so that they will find out who trampled the wheat, and the brothers, in turn, send the youngest, Ivan the fool (John), there instead. At night, John, sweetly chatting with the hedgehog, which he had previously saved, sees the outline of a mare and throws the rope into a misty cloud. Suddenly, the rope tightens, and the mare begins to carry him across the fields and meadows. They fall into a swamp, and John pulls out the drowning mare using a waterwheel. Being bound, she cries, and the hero, feeling sorry for her, lets her go free, given the word that she will no longer trample on their fields. The next morning, in the stable, he discovers two horses and meets a small Humpbacked Magic Foal. He says that he was sent by his mother mare to help and support him in any way. John, wanting to get money for the horses, leads them to the bazaar. There, the king sees them and gives orders to take them to his stables, saying that they are actually his horses now. Having received no money, John asks the Foal to help him, and he calls the horses back with a whistle. The King offers John the position of the most important groom, and he agrees. Over time, the people begin to love John more and more. The king wants to execute him, but can't find a reason. The Sleeping Bag suggests sending the groom to retrieve The Firebird, and then executing him for not following the King's order, as he thinks that John will not be able to find it. John and Foal go in search of the Firebird. After collecting the dream-nuts, they find the bird's shelter and pour them out to it. The bird, having eaten all the nuts, falls asleep. John puts it in chains. The next morning, the Foal tells him that the bird can only get hot when it's free. In chains, it cries, and John lets it go free. On their return, the executioners lead John to the block. He claims that he caught the Firebird, but released it, but no one believes him despite bringing back feather from it. When the axe is already raised over his head, the Firebird appears, and the execution is canceled. The King, hating John more and more, at the instigation of the Sleeping Bag, sends him to retrieve the Tsar-maiden, thinking that he will not be able to cope with this task, since the maiden lives in an Ice country on a high rock. However, John and Foal reach their destination. The girl wakes up from a dream and tells John that she does not want to get married because there are no heroes left, and then jumps into the abyss. John does not hesitate to rush after her before both of them get picked up by Foal who can actually fly. The king wants to get married right away, but the girl refuses to do so without her grandmother's ring, which she dropped in the ocean years ago. John, who has already fallen in love with the Tsar-maiden, asks the King for the impossible job, so as not to think about the upcoming wedding and the maiden herself. The delighted King sends John to get the ring. John and Foal embark on an adventure in the Magical Roads. The Foal, after talking to the Sun, Moon, and Wind, finds out where the ring is, and he and John fly to the Whale Fish. As it turns out, the whale is chained up for swallowing ships years ago, but doesn't know how to set them free. John makes him sneeze, and the ships float out to sea once again. In gratitude, the whale sends them a crab, which brings them the Tsar-maiden's grandmother's ring. On his return, John comes to the girl in the tower and asks her to marry him, not knowing that he's being watched. The King's guards break into the bedchamber and place John under arrest for attempted kidnapping whereas Foal is shot on the wing by the king. The king is ready to get married, but his bride asks him to rejuvenate himself according to her grandmother's recipe by bathing in cauldrons of boiling water, ice water, and boiling milk. The Sleeping Bag advises to test the cauldrons on John before the execution. At night, the girl tells the Foal that in the first cauldron, it is necessary to throw her grandmother's ring, in the second — the feather of the Firebird, and in the third - the flower of life and death that grows at the end of the world, and then John will remain alive. Foal goes in search of the flower despite a wounded wing. In the morning, the King hypocritically declares that he is giving John a chance at redemption, and orders him to jump into the cauldrons. In the first cauldron, the girl throws her ring, and John is carried out of there safely, in the second, the Firebird's feather falls in, and he also remains unharmed. At this time, the Foal finds the flower and learns from it that the one who picks it is waiting for death. Despite this warning, he plucks the flower to save John and manages to deliver it when John finds himself inside the third cauldron. The renewed John appears before the maiden, and the King jumps into the first cauldron without hesitation. However, a huge bubble bursts out of the cauldron, which carries the cursing King away into the sky. The Foal patiently waits for his death, but the Tsar Maiden reveals to him that the words of the flower were just a test, and if he hadn't plucked it, he actually would've died, but now, he never will. Left without a king now, John becomes the people's new ruler with the maiden at his side as his queen before they proceed to getting married. == Cast ==

• Anton Shagin as Ivan the Fool (English: John the Fool) • Paulina Andreeva as the Tsar Maiden (Princess) • Mikhail Yefremov as the King (voiced by Sergey Burunov) • Yan Tsapnik as the Chamberlain of the bedchamber • Oleg Taktarov as Voivode (English: Waywode) • Yevgeny Kapitonov as the farmer • Vitaly Kononov as Danila • Ilya Borisov as Gavrila • Andrey Feskov as Tryapkin-Tapkin, the couturier • , the Treasurer Voices • Pavel Derevyanko as The Little Humpbacked Horse, a Foal. • Lyasan Utiasheva as The Firebird • Aleksandr Semchev as the Chudo-Yudo Whale-fish • Sergey Burunov as the Tsar (vocal cords for Mikhail Yefremov) ==Production==

Development The Russian fairy tale is based on the work of Pyotr Pavlovich Yershov, The Humpbacked Horse, first published in 1834. The book has become a classic of Russian literature. Despite the childish genre, the tale includes elements of social satire. In the Soviet Union, the manuscript was reprinted more than a hundred times due to its incredible popularity. The literary tale The Humpbacked Horse was named the cultural heritage of Russia and of the Tyumen Oblast. In the birthplace of Yershov, Ishim, Tyumen Oblast, cultural events were held during the film's premiere. Yershov's role in the Russian literature was noted by Lyubov Nechaeva, head of the Ishim Museum Complex, who said: "Pyotr Pavlovich is our everything! Therefore, on the eve of the large-format premiere of The Humpbacked Horse, we decided to remind Russians again that this writer is of Siberian blood, and his small homeland is around Ishim." The residents of Siberia organized an event that became international in nature. A flash mob was started in more than 30 Russian regions and included participants from France and Morocco. In 1941, the first film adaptation of the fairy tale directed by Alexander Rowe took place. More than half a century later, the third film adaptation, Upon the Magic Roads was released based on the script of director Oleg Pogodin, who has credits with works, including the TV series ''Sherlock Holmes. This is the third film adaptation of the fairy tale for cinemas. The project was financed by the CTB Film Company with the support of the TV channel Russia-1 and Cinema Fund. Yershov's fairy tale is one of the favorite works of Sergey Selyanov, who in the early 2000s planned to adapt the story with Soviet Union director Sergey Ovcharov. However, at the time, the technology and budget were unsuitable. On April 17, 2018, the concept art Upon the Magic Roads was published. The script transformed the poetry of Yershov's characters for film adaptations. The film was produced by Sergey Selyanov, Anton Zlatopolsky and Alexander Gorokhov. The producers knew that Pavel Derevyanko was the best actor for the role of the character. Martial arts master and actor Oleg Taktarov played the role of the Tsarist governor. The governor's costume required multi layer fur coats. The main role was played by Anton Shagin, who, after many auditions, got the role of Ivan the Fool. Paulina Andreeva starred as The Tsar Maiden. Andreeva was happy to star in such an important role of the Tsar Maiden. This film was one of the actress's favorite moments because she wanted to star in at least one children's film. The film is intended for all viewers and especially for children - “It seems to me that this is a fairy tale for all times. If we, our heroes, will be associated for children with their childhood, if they matured and say 'We grew up watching your films', this will be the greatest joy for me,”says Paulina Andreeva. The scenery in the film goes beyond the imagination of the director. At some point, the heroes will fall into the nostril of a giant whale, as well as into a bizarre oasis where The Firebird lives. One of the highlights in the film is when John finds the Tsar Maiden in the crystal palace, referring to Yershov's poems as if he were finding a doll that refers to the sleeping princess from Pushkin's fairy tales. The artists used the motif of frozen ice and silver to create the Tsar Maiden at this moment of discovery. The costume was of European character and the collar was laser cut with a silver ornament. There were three sets: interiors, landscapes, a city with a village. Production designers Anastasia Karimulina and Isabela Tikhonskaya, together with three teams of technicians and a team of sculptors, built parts of the sets in the pavilions. CGF curators continued to build in the virtual world. The script was written specifically to entertain both children and family audiences, finding the right balance between the two genres. Principal photography of the film was shot in Saint Petersburg in the summer of 2018, and was completed closer to the fall that year. Post-production Principal photography of the film was shot in Saint Petersburg in the summer of 2018, and was completed closer to the fall that year. A variety of techniques have been used to transform fabrics into colorful costumes. The sketches turned into embroidery with an emphasis on the fabulous component. All sundresses, caftans and hats were embroidered by hand. For the crowd alone, three hundred suits were made. There were different versions of the Tsar-Maiden costumes. At first, the costume for John was considered linen. However, linen was not suitable for Anton Shagin, who played John. Nadezhda Vasilyeva changed the style, and the final image was a handmade woolen sweater trimmed with chintz. An exhibition of costumes for the film will open at the Lenfilm studio. ==Release==

Theatrical Upon the Magic Roads was originally scheduled to be theatrically released on October 22, 2020, but its release was postponed to February 18, 2021, in Russia. COVID-19 postponed the release of the film. The marketing of the film was launched to refresh the memory of the film. The trailers went on the air two years ago. Russia 1 TV channel and Sony Pictures Productions and Releasing (SPPR) have formed a promotional program for the film. At the 2021 Key Buyers Event worldwide distribution plans were signed. World Cinema will distribute the film to South Korea and Grindstone Entertainment Group acquired the North American rights to the film. The media group plans to release the film in 2022. On 6 July 2021, the Cannes Film Market featured the signing of the film's distribution plans to Japan by New Select. The film could have a sequel. ==Reception==

Critical response In a review of KinoPoisk, Mikhail Morkin says that the creative period of costumes in Russian history dates back to the early Soviet period, when the opera-ballet The Golden Cockerel was staged not only in Russia, but also by Diaghilev's Russian troupe in Paris. The review dispelled all doubts about the impossibility of continuing the creative legacy of Soviet times: “But here it is, a miracle: in the Little Humpbacked Horse there is a character with a weather vane on his head, and he is organically inscribed in the space of the capital's Tsar Grad. And what shirts, what sundresses and brocade robes, what hats - this certainly cannot be said in a fairy tale and cannot be described with a pen." The Kommersant review notes that, despite the adversity faced by the consequences of COVID-19, as well as analysts' predictions of below average results due to the delay in “high-budget films,” fate “turned this film from another popular blockbuster into an unexpectedly perky pamphlet. with the logo "Russia" in the opening credits." Box office and VOD On the day of the premiere, Upon the Magic Roads topped Russia's box office. Pre-sales broke records set by major Hollywood companies. The largest record of 251.2 million rubles for the premiere weekend surpassed the previous records set by Mulan (2020 film) and The Croods: A New Age (2020). At the end of the second week of distribution, the film had only a 16% drop in viewership. By the end of February, a record was set for the Russian film industry. Upon the Magic Roads has already been watched by 2.29 million people, and which in the first six days after its release, collected 585.2 million rubles, took first place in the box office rating. 45% of proceeds and 48% of tickets sold came from a fairy tale film. In addition, average attendance over the weekend ranged from 60 to 62 people per session. Preliminary opinion polls show that 74% of the audience were families. Viewers' opinions are generally positive. The Russian film industry entered a new historical moment when the film became the highest-grossing film adaptation of classic Russian literature. In March, the average attendance was above average: 46 on Saturday and 51 on Sunday. The second weekend on the screens brought 240.1 million rubles with a total cash register of 850 million rubles. In eleven days, 3.36 million people attended the sessions. On March 9, 2021, the film crossed the billion-ruble mark. The record was set in 18.5 days. On holiday weekends, the film is ranked the first in average attendance. In less than three weeks of distribution, the film managed to maintain the record, increasing its average attendance to four million people. The film has currently collected a total of $19 million. The film is currently the 51st highest-grossing film of 2021. The film was released on video-on-demand in Russia on April 1, 2021, by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. ==See also==