Cinema industry executives Roman Isaev and Alexey Vasyasin have stated at the National News Service press center that Russia lacks professional directors capable of making horror films.
Isaev, a board member of the Association of Cinema Owners, told the outlet that while Russia possesses plenty of literary and dramatic material for horror movies, filmmakers lack the necessary skills and framework. He said no tradition or creative foundation for horror has developed in recent years, leaving the domestic industry without experienced directors or specialized production teams.
According to Isaev, financial predictability strongly favors family fantasy projects over horror. He noted that fairy tale adaptations have predictable budgets and carry a 99 percent probability of recouping costs, whereas horror films typically yield returns of only one to three times their investment. He added that domestic horror movies are not being made because there is no clear creative vision, working hands, or qualified heads.
Financial incentives drive Russian filmmakers toward fairy tales
Vasyasin, who serves as head of the combined Cinema Park and Formula Kino chain, confirmed Isaev's assessment and said profitability plays a decisive role in production choices. He remarked that filmmakers choose fairy tales because they generate reliable income, noting that horror films have historically struggled at the box office.
Vasyasin cited the foreign body horror movie The Substance as a rare exception to the genre's low earnings, though he acknowledged that horror films are currently collecting higher ticket sales than in previous years. He also pointed out that state support favors family films, stating that the federal Cinema Fund is far more likely to grant production subsidies to fairy tales than to horror projects.
State funding and domestic box office prospects
The Cinema Fund operates as Russia's primary state film foundation, distributing government grants to commercial movie projects. Cinema Park and Formula Kino forms the largest theater circuit in the country, while the Association of Cinema Owners represents commercial theater operators nationwide.
The comments follow previous observations from Efim Gugnin, editor-in-chief of Pop Culture at the publication T-Zh. Gugnin told the National News Service that while the foreign body horror film Eat, Pray, Lose Weight features an interesting director, it is unlikely to become a major box office hit in Russian theaters.
