The streaming series "Hollywoodsk," starring Daniil Vorobyev, launched August 10 on Kinopoisk, Premier, Ivi and Okko. Filming took place in 2023, with the release delayed for postproduction and timing reasons.
The show follows a cinema chain owner who produces a blockbuster using lookalikes of Hollywood actors to pay off a debt to a businessman from Sochi.
Critic weighs in on timing
Film critic Roman Grigoryev told the National News Service the series could interest viewers despite the controversy over the premiere of "The Last Warrior. Kolobok," which pushed back the pirated screening of "Spider-Man: New Day" by a week. Grigoryev said that episode was ultimately a local story that would not shift the broader balance of audience preferences, and that he expected the new series to be received normally as long as it proved engaging.
Actors cast as lookalikes
The series plays on the resemblance between Marina Vorozhishcheva and Reese Witherspoon, and between Boris Khvoshnyansky and Robert Downey Jr. Grigoryev said such comparisons do not diminish the Russian actors' talent, noting that actors take on different roles from project to project and that treating the casting as an insult would be misguided.
Three of the show's 12 episodes are currently available, with new episodes releasing daily on weekdays.
