MOSCOW, January 10. /TASS/. Dmitry Dyachenko’s family comedy Cheburashka has become the highest grossing Russian film in the country's history, according to data from the Unified Federal Automated Information System of Theatrical Film Distribution.
The data shows that Cheburashka has earned 3,082,245,827 rubles ($44,378,175) since its cinematic release on January 1, 2023, surpassing Klim Shipenko’s Serf with box office revenues of 3,082,031.790 rubles ($44,356,601).
"We are very happy that Cheburashka and other movies released during the holiday season allowed movie theaters to make money and enhance the audience’s faith in the domestic film industry. It is too early to speak about the recovery [of the film distribution sector] but the industry is making every possible effort to make it happen with the government’s support," General Producer at Yellow, Black and White Eduard Iloyan told TASS.
This family comedy tells the story of Cheburashka’s adventures in a small seaside town where he arrives from a faraway country.
"The story of this iconic character, which first appeared in Eduard Uspensky’s books and later was visually embodied by animator Leonid Shvartsman and director Roman Kachanov, goes on in completely different surroundings. The intuition of the Yellow, Black and White studio’s creative team, as well as our joint careful work on the character’s image, made it possible to preserve its classic DNA, while creating a totally new world where many allusions to various works can be found. Along with a brilliant cast, all these factors contributed to the movie’s success," Chair of the Board of Directors of the Soyuzmultfilm animation studio Yuliana Slashchyova told TASS.
According to her, familiar domestic heroes are currently in high demand with Russian movie-goers, and Cheburashka fits the role perfectly. "It is an incredibly touching character that embodies the timeless story of loneliness and making friends," she said. "I am sure that this legendary hero has gained new fans, and we will soon offer them new projects revealing his adventures," Slashchyova added.