Director Anton Maslov's movie The Last Hero. Kolobok earned 69.430 million rubles in total box office revenue by 10:05 a.m. Moscow time on Aug. 7 following its Aug. 6 premiere. Film critics told TASS that the project could show strong box office results despite online criticism.
The movie drew more than 130,000 viewers on its opening day, earning 15.142 million rubles of its total receipts from presales. The story centers on Kolobok as he attempts to change his fate alongside unlucky baker Tikhon, taking on dangerous adventures to save themselves and find their place in the world.
Comedian and actor Garik Kharlamov voiced Kolobok in the movie produced by Yellow, Black and White, online cinema Start, and television channel Russia. Main roles were performed by Dmitry Zhuravlev, Gosha Kutsenko, Mila Ershova, Tatyana Dogileva, Kirill Zaitsev, and Dmitry Kolchin.
Family audience turnout
Film critic Sergey Sychyov said most people had not seen the movie because it opened yesterday, adding that online hype might stay on the internet. He stated that adults would likely take their children to the film during the weekend regardless, making it too early to draw conclusions after one day in release.
Sychyov noted that although some social media users complained about the poster and character design, a similar initial reaction occurred with the movie Cheburashka before it became a box office record breaker. He added that children know the fairytale, do not read online forums, and will prompt their parents to go to the cinema.
Promotional campaign strategy
Film critic Larisa Malyukova attributed negative online reactions primarily to errors in the promotional campaign, stating that marketing an animated film requires careful execution. She compared the situation to Nepokoy, a short animated movie by director Leonid Shmelkov released on July 30, 2026, which earned decent receipts because creators targeted their audience and engaged Gen Z viewers.
Malyukova explained that while creators invested funds into The Last Hero. Kolobok, their strategy was wrong. However, she said parents and children would still attend because it is a fairytale, allowing the movie to build revenue gradually even if it falls short of initial expectations.
