Project Detail

The Death of Stalin

Synopsis

The year is 1953. Joseph Stalin seems in hale (albeit paranoid) condition, terrorizing everyone, summarily killing off any suspected dissenters, and keeping even his cronies on edge. That comes to an abrupt halt one morning when the dictator is found belly-up on the floor of his office following a stroke. What follows is director Armando Iannucci's version of hijinks: the plotting and jostling for power by a group of connivers who cowered under their boss. All of the top lackeys are in contention - milquetoast Malenkov, wiseguy Khrushchev, bewildered Molotov, thuggish Zhukov, and depraved Beria, with Stalin's drunken son Vasily and jaded daughter Svetlana off to the side. They move with the clumsiness of aspirants not up to the job but desperate for it anyway.
A feature adaptation of Fabien Nury and Thierry Robin’s acclaimed graphic novel.
Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2017 - Platform - World premiere
Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2018 - Spotlight
Official Selection Rotterdam International Film Festival 2018

Details

Year: 2017
Type of film: Features
Running time: 107 mins
Director: Armando Iannucci
Producer: Laurent Zeitoun, Yann Zenou, Nicolas Duval Adassovsky, Kevin Loader
Editor: Peter Lambert
Screenwriter: Armando Iannucci (script), David Schneider (script), Ian Martin (script), Fabien Nury (graphic novel), Thierry Robin (graphic novel)
Director of Photography: Zac Nicholson
Production Designer: Cristina Casali
Music: Christopher Willis
Principal cast: Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Paddy Considine, Rupert Friend, Jason Isaacs, Olga Kurylenko, Michael Palin, Andrea Riseborough, Paul Whitehouse, Jeffrey Tambor, Adrian McLoughlin

Genre

Comedy Drama

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

France, UK, Belgium coproduction

A Quad Productions (FR), Main Journey (CA, FR) production in association with Gaumont (FR), France 3 Cinéma (FR), La Compagnie Cinématographique (BE), Panache Productions (BE), Canal+ (FR), Cine+ (FR), France Télévisions (FR), Free Range Films (UK), Title Media (BE)

Kevin Loader

c/o Free Range Films
110 Gloucester Avenue
London
NW1 8HX

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Sales Company

Gaumont International

Manuel Pereira
30 avenue Charles de Gaulle
92 200 Neuilly-sur-Seine
France

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