Russian film distributors are launching a new feature adaptation of the classic drama Scarecrow in movie theaters on August 27. The picture leads a major slate of domestic cinematic releases debuting across Russia during the final weeks of August, according to a report published by Gazeta.Ru on August 19.
Co-directed by Ilya Khotinenko and Vladimir Karabanov, the modern version revisits the story of school bullying more than 40 years after the release of Rolan Bykov's cult Soviet film. The filmmakers emphasized that the picture is an independent adaptation written in the language of modern teenagers rather than a direct remake of the 1984 screen classic.
The story follows Moscow schoolgirl Anya Zaitseva, played by Marya Simonova, who moves to a small provincial town with her father, played by Kirill Kyaro. At her new school, Anya falls in love with classmate Misha Volkov, played by Maksim Karushev. When Misha sets up the whole class, Anya takes the blame upon herself to protect him.
Misha chooses to remain silent while the class declares war on Anya, giving her the insulting nickname Scarecrow. The creators updated the narrative for the 21st century by expanding the harassment beyond school grounds into online social networks, where Anya faces public bullying before hundreds of internet users.
Khotinenko and Karabanov also incorporated musical elements into the teenage drama, using vocal performances in key scenes to express the emotional struggles of the characters. Gazeta.Ru reported that while viewers will evaluate whether adapting the painful story into the era of online likes proves successful, the underlying premise reflects how targeted harassment has migrated online over four decades while its core motivations remain unchanged.
Summer family adventure releases
Family adventures feature prominently in the late August box office lineup, beginning with Legend of the Scythian Gold on August 20. The story opens as Russian schoolchildren finish their summer break, while the fictional Gavrilov family arrives for a holiday in a small Crimean resort town on the Black Sea peninsula.
The family holiday turns into a crime investigation when ancient artifacts disappear without a trace from a local museum. Young Petya Gavrilov, played by Aleksei Bakurenko, decides to solve the mystery himself, drawing confidence from the detective novels written by his author father. Petya is also motivated by a desire to impress his new acquaintance Nina, played by Ekaterina Mikhailova.
Petya recruits his younger brothers Sasha, played by Aleksandr Kazachek, and Kostya, played by Stepan Lopatin, to assist in the search. Their impromptu investigation forces the elder Gavrilov parents to abandon their plans for a peaceful vacation.
A second family adventure, Diamond Heart of Persia, directed by Ivan Kulnev, arrives in theaters on August 27. The film centers on schoolboy Lesha, played by Yaromir Zaitsev, an avid fan of pirate tales, ancient treasures, and mysterious relics who finds himself drawn into a real-life international chase.
While on a family trip along the Caspian Sea coast, Lesha witnesses the theft of the legendary diamond known as the Heart of Persia. He steals the priceless gem from the smugglers, triggering a high-stakes pursuit that leaves him stranded alone in Iran. To survive and return the diamond to its rightful owners, Lesha must join forces with new local allies and outsmart the criminal gang.
Animation and psychological horror
Animated cinema also takes center stage on August 27 with the nationwide premiere of Luntik: The Dark Side of the Moon, produced by Melnitsa Animation Studio and directed by Darina Shmidt. The release coincides with the upcoming 20th anniversary in September 2026 of the popular purple character, who first debuted on Russian television with his catchphrase announcing that he was born.
Following the events of the 2024 feature movie Luntik: Return Home, the protagonist lives peacefully with his mother on the Moon until he begins asking about his father. Upon learning that his father departed for the far side of the Moon and never returned, Luntik embarks on an expedition across the lunar surface with his loyal friend Kuzya. The journey becomes chaotic when the troublesome caterpillars Vupsen and Pupsen follow them onto the trek.
Adult moviegoers seeking standalone genre entertainment can view the psychological thriller Penthouse, which opens on August 27. Directed by Yakut filmmaker Stepan Burnashev, known for his award-winning drama Black Snow, the film stars Irina Mikhailova as Saina and Soji Arai as her husband David.
The plot follows the couple as they relocate from the United States to Malaysia and move into a high-rise luxury apartment to start a new life. Disturbing events quickly escalate as Saina hears unexplainable noises at night and sees a mysterious female figure. David attributes her experiences to exhaustion and postpartum depression, leaving Saina questioning her own sanity.
Burnashev based the thriller on events from his own life. During a trip to Malaysia, the director's wife reported hearing male and female voices as well as footsteps coming from empty rooms in their rented apartment at night, prompting Burnashev to transform the spooky incident into a feature screenplay.
Holdover titles currently in theaters
In addition to upcoming August premieres, Russian theaters are currently screening several high-profile domestic releases from earlier in the month. The Last Warrior franchise has expanded with a standalone project focused on Kolobok, voiced by Garik Kharlamov. The film explores the origin story of the round fairytale character, detailing why he was baked, how he escaped, and how he teamed up with the clumsy baker Tikhon and a mysterious woman named Lada.
The backstory reveals that the famous folklore declaration that he left his grandmother served merely as a brief summary of a far more complex past. The film continues to draw significant public discussion across Russian cinema venues.
Also currently playing in theaters is KikoRiki Across the Universes, featuring the animated characters Krosh and Yozhik. After discovering a strange device, the pair are transported into an alternate reality, taking over the bodies of two young boys aboard a spaceship traveling to Mars. When the vessel encounters a disaster, one of the characters warns that they are not what they seem, prompting Gazeta.Ru to remark that David Lynch's surrealist owls would approve in a parallel universe.
