Minecraft,Mario, andTetris— what do these three things have in common? They’re all some of the most commercially successful video games in history, with the latter-most title selling more than 200 million copies since its original creation in 1984. The block-dropping puzzle game has since become a staple part of video game history, being the subject of numerous documentaries and competitions all based around its simple but incredibly addictive gameplay. While most know of the game’s Soviet origins, they may not know that the series was the centerpiece of an international legal battle that spanned multiple countries.
The upcoming Apple TV+ exclusive filmTetrisaims to tell the story of how the puzzle game came to be. Suffice it to say, it won’t be a clear-cut success story. International interests, illicit licensing deals, and geopolitical differences will no doubt make for an intriguing insight into howTetrisrose to immense popularity. It’s hard to imagine that such a simple puzzle game would have such an elaborate story. Yet, here we are.
This is everything we know about the upcomingTetrisbiopic.
Tetris: The Plot
Tetriswill tell the story of the titular puzzle game through the perspective of Henk Rogers, a man in the midst of the Cold War who finds potential in licensingTetrisfor an international market. Unfortunately, due toTetrisbeing created in the Soviet Union, abattle of ideologies takes placein bringing it beyond the red curtain. It’s in Rogers' best interest to succeed in his task. His role would be instrumental in cementing the original Game Boy as one of the bestselling video game consoles of all time, all through simply licensingTetrisas a packaged game with every unit.
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As with any biopic, we can reasonably expect some dramatized elements to overtake some of the true story. There likely wasn’ta grandiose car chase, nor were there multiple violent confrontations throughout the journey in bringingTetristo the west. Taron Egerton would speak freely about his involvement in the film in a piece toGQ, wherein he states that the film is “more likeThe Social Network” instead ofThe Lego Movie. This has more than a few implications. Let’s not forget thatThe Social Networkwas criticized by the very person it’s about, Mark Zuckerberg, forseveral inaccuracies and exaggerations. Just as we did withBohemian RhapsodyandElvis, we should takeTetrisas more of a “broad strokes” story for a wide audience. If you want a more detailed account of the history ofTetris, there are plenty of freely-available resources elsewhere.
Tetris: The Cast
As mentioned previously, Taron Egerton will be a significant part of the main cast. Playing the role of Henk Rogers, it looks like he’ll be bringing a charismatic charm to the suave entrepreneur, all while being able to take thelooming threat of Soviet Russiaseriously. Interestingly, Egerton does have some experience that makes him especially suitable for the role. His performance as Eggsy inThe Kingsmanfranchise cemented him as a competent action star while playing geopolitics on the side. Egerton was also praised for his performance as Elton John in 2019’sRocketman, wherein he not only captured the larger-than-life figure’s personality but also did his own singing for the entirety of the film.
Another central figure inTetrisis the creator of the game himself, Alexey Pajitnov. A computer scientist by trade, he often made games as a means to test the capabilities of the machines he worked with. Such experiments would indirectly lead to the creation ofTetris, as he became inspired by a similar game he played as a child. Playing Pajitnov will be the Russian-born actor Nikita Efremov, who previously had a significant role in the Russian seriesLondongradin addition to the war-themed miniseriesBallada o bombere.We can expect him to play an equally important role in the film as Henk Rogers, due to the two eventually forming The Tetris Company in 1996.
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Additional cast members include Matthew Marsh (Dunkirk, Knightfall), who will be playing Mikhail Gorbachev, and Togo Igawa (Robotboy, Giri/Haji), who will be playing Hiroshi Yamauchi, the president of Nintendo at the time. You can also expect appearances from Toby Jones (The Hunger Games, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Ben Miles (Andor,The Crown), Roger Allam (V for Vendetta), Sofya Lebedeva (Vikings: Valhalla, 1703), and Sharon Young (The Replacement).
Release Date
Tetriswill be streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ starting March 31.
Everything Else We Know
Tetrishas been in development from as far back as July 2020, likely beingimpacted by the global coronavirus pandemic. This film, as far as we know, has nothing to do with a planned trilogy ofTetrisfilms produced by Larry Kasanoff. Despite reports that Kasanoff’s firstTetrisfilm would be produced in China on a budget of 80 million dollars, there’s been complete radio silence since 2016. We can likely assume that the project has either gone into indefinite hiatus if it has not been quietly canceled.
