Russian authorities have launched a criminal investigation after creators of the film The Last Warrior: Kolobok received death threats, promises to burn their property and wishes for their deaths.
State television broadcaster Russia 24 reported receiving anonymous phone calls and messages directed at the production team and their relatives. The network submitted a formal petition to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office and the Investigative Committee, where potential suspects could face up to five years in prison under laws against public threats of murder or severe bodily harm.
The movie is part of a Russian fantasy film franchise based on Slavic folklore. Kolobok, a traditional fairytale character depicted as a small round loaf of bread that runs away from home, serves as the main protagonist of the project.
The controversy began when distributor Atmosphera Kino and the Association of Cinema Owners asked Russian movie theaters to delay unofficial screenings of the new Spider-Man release until August 20. Cinema operators that ignored the recommendation were warned that future business agreements could be reassessed.
At the same time, distributors moved the release date for The Last Warrior: Kolobok forward from August 13 to August 6. Outraged viewers responded by review bombing the picture online before public screenings even began. Over a single night, the film received thousands of user ratings on Kinopoisk, Russia's primary online movie database, with more than 90 percent marking it as negative.
Online Boycott and Public Stunts
Kinopoisk later acknowledged the feud between the two releases by replacing standard rating icons on the movie's page with Spider-Man masks. As calls for a boycott spread across social media platforms, the Luch cinema in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk removed the film from its schedule entirely.
Promotional efforts in Moscow also drew intense criticism on August 7, when organizers suspended a giant figure of the main character outside the Oktyabr cinema on Novy Arbat avenue. Onlookers and local residents quickly labeled the hanging promotional installation a nightmare.
The creators of the picture made little effort to defuse the growing hostility. Actor and comedian Garik Kharlamov, who voices the character of Kolobok, joked online that he planned to push back the release of the upcoming Avengers movie as well.
Addressing social media users who accused him of removing Spider-Man from cinema schedules, Kharlamov said he had watched the postponed superhero film himself. He added that he had survived COVID twice, carried heavy bags twice, and moved Spider-Man, calling the film the weakest entry in its franchise.
Director Anton Maslov entered a public argument with a Moscow electrician who posted critical comments online regarding the trailer's visual effects. Maslov responded by visiting the electrician's personal social media page and criticizing his electrical switchboard installations. Actor Dmitry Zhuravlev joined the dispute, describing the electrician's wiring work as bottom tier.
Mistaken Identity and Box Office Growth
The online backlash also targeted filmmaker Sarik Andreasyan, as social media users assumed he was responsible for directing the new fairytale adaptation.
Andreasyan and his wife, actress Liza Moryak, recorded a video statement to clarify that they had no connection to the production. The couple said viewers were sending them negative messages about the movie, but urged the public to check the film credits, noting that Andreasyan does not direct all 300 films produced in Russia each year.
Despite the anger online, the film generated strong box office returns. The movie earned nearly 54 million rubles on its first day of release, and total box office collections surpassed 200 million rubles across its first four days.
Industry analysts offered conflicting views on whether the online controversy helped or hurt ticket sales. Yevgeny Ukhov, an editor at portal Film.ru, said the pre-release backlash served as background noise while bringing attention to the launch. He noted that early discussions based solely on trailers and lacking objective critical reviews tend to highlight negative opinions, but agreed the release benefited from an established franchise universe and popular new actors.
In contrast, Veronika Skurikhina, editor-in-chief of industry trade publication BK-media, said the public hostility damaged opening box office receipts. Skurikhina stated that initial industry estimates were significantly higher, arguing that a new entry in a major local franchise starring a popular comedian should have earned far more money on launch.
Rival Releases and International Distribution
The high-profile conflict overshadowed competing family releases. On August 6, the animated feature Kikoriki: Across Universes opened in theaters. Produced by Riki Group as its most expensive and ambitious project to date, the animated movie collected roughly 18 million rubles on its first day, nearly three times less than Kolobok.
Maksim Yershov, author of the film blog Telegram channel I Saw the Screen's Glow, said Kolobok possessed higher box office potential from the start, but added that the scandal favored its performance to the detriment of Kikoriki. Yershov noted that both projects were likely to turn a profit, pointing to the key 1 billion ruble milestone for Russian blockbusters and describing early commercial results as mostly positive.
The production received 250 million rubles in non-repayable state support from the Russian Cinema Foundation in June. While official figures for total production costs and break-even targets remain undisclosed, distributors plan to expand the movie to international markets next, with theatrical releases scheduled in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan on August 27.
