Netflix has just announced its first ever Russian original – a series with the working title of Anna K. The series is a lavish and contemporary retelling of Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel “Anna Karenina.”
The series will star Svetlana Khodchenkova (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) as Anna Karenina. The series is written by Roman Kantor, and will be directed by Valeriy Fedorovich, Evgeniy Nikishov, Natasha Merkulova, Aleksey Chupov and Roman Kantor.
As per Netflix, Anna K is set in modern day Russia, where socialite Anna Karenina, the wife of the soon-to-become governor of St. Petersburg, enters a life-changing love affair with Vronsky, the dashing heir of an aluminum empire. Their affair quickly careens out of control, threatening the delicate balance of their familial bonds and social relationships. Set between cosmopolitan Moscow, historic St. Petersburg and Russia’s rugged countryside, the drama explores themes of passion, loyalty and the irrefutable truth that no amount of riches can save us from love’s ability to either free us or bring us to our doom.
Valeriy Fedorovich, Evgeniy Nikishov, Sergey Kornikhin, Roman Kantor are the producers of Anna K for Netflix. The series will be shot on location in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Michael Azzolino, Director original Series, Netflix, said about the Anna Karenina adaptation, “We are incredibly proud to announce our first Russian series with 1-2-3 Production. The talented team of writers, directors and producers have crafted an imaginative and immersive series. We are excited to help bring their vision for this much admired story to our members in Russia and the world.”
There have been several film adaptations of Anna Karenina, the most recent one being the 2012 film starring Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and a 2017 Russian film.
The series Anna K will premiere worldwide on Netflix, with the release date yet to be announced.