Race to Monte Carlo
Production
Director
Scenario
Andrey Kurganov
Composer
Ryan Otter
Producer
Petr Anurov
Actors
Ivan Yankovsky
Andrey Nagel
Yuriy Borisov
Dmitriy Bondarev
Paulina Andreeva
Lidiya
Yehezkel Lazarov
Gustav List
Aleksey Guskov
Mikhail Shidlovskiy
Igor Grabuzov
Egor Polosukhin
Sergey Volkov
Imperator Nikolay II
Alisa Karimova
Lera Bondareva
Short description
Upcoming adventure drama Race to Monte Carlo follows the efforts of Andrey Nagel and Dmitry Bondarev to build the first mass-produced car in Russia. Starting in 1908, the enthusiast and the engineer assemble a team to develop their vehicle. Facing doubts about the project's viability, Nagel decides to enter the car into the Monaco Rally, a high-stakes gamble that will determine the survival of their young manufacturing company.
The film is directed by Ilya Malanin, who previously directed Extraordinary in 2024. The screenplay was written by Andrey Kurganov and produced by Petr Anurov, Vadim Vereshchagin, and Grigory Stoyalov. The production was a collaboration between Central Partnership, Studio Trite, Kinoslovo, and Gazprom-Media. The main cast features Ivan Yankovsky as Andrey Nagel and Yuriy Borisov as Dmitriy Bondarev, alongside Paulina Andreeva, Yehezkel Lazarov, Aleksey Guskov, and Igor Grabuzov.
What's left behind the scenes
- The Russo-Balt was the first of all participants to arrive in Monte Carlo, but it did not win the race. In the overall standings, Nagel's crew finished only ninth due to a low average speed and poor scores for comfort and elegance. However, the car received special awards for the longest route and endurance.
- The 1912 Rally was nothing like modern car racing. Participants started from different cities, and the final result depended not only on speed, but also on the length of the route, the condition of the car, the number of passengers, and other metrics. Therefore, arriving first in Monte Carlo was not enough to win.
- On certain sections, Andrey Nagel and Vadim Mikhailov spent up to 14-18 hours a day behind the wheel. Furthermore, they started in winter, temperatures along the route dropped to -20°C, and the car lacked a proper windshield and heating system.
- Due to the cold, the participants' goggles constantly fogged up, so Nagel and Mikhailov had to abandon them.
- The cars for the film had to be modified and reinforced several times during the preparation process. Each car took about six months to create, after which it was adapted for specific stunt requirements.
- During the first tests, one of the Russo-Balts nearly overturned. Stuntman Martin Ivanov and Yura Borisov were in the car when a wheel fell off at the very first turn. Following this, the design had to be refined.
- According to actress Paulina Andreeva, learning to drive the car proved to be a particularly challenging part of the preparation. Her character's car has a manual transmission, right-hand drive, and the handbrake is located behind the door. Paulina added that she hadn't driven a manual in a long time and uses an electric vehicle in her daily life.
- The film features scenes with genuine museum cars that could not be used for stunts. Therefore, drivable replicas were created for the dangerous episodes, while the original historical cars were used where the highest level of authenticity was required.
- In reality, Vadim Mikhailov, an employee of 'Avtomobil' magazine, participated in the rally alongside Andrei Nagel. Mikhailov had to steer with one hand because he injured his arm while trying to start the engine, yet he still joined the expedition. However, the filmmakers intentionally decided to put Dmitry Bondarev behind the wheel to create a composite image of a Russian engineer and more vividly illustrate the connection between the car's creator and its testing.
- The idea for the film came to Ilya Malanin after he read an article about the birth of the domestic automotive industry.
- Designer Igor Ermilin worked on creating the replica of the Russo-Balt S24/58 racing car. His team managed to build the car using black-and-white photographs from the early 20th century.
- The car driven by Lydia is a 1912 American Underslung Scout.
- The recreated cars are rear-wheel drive with front-mounted engines and exactly replicate the engineering solutions of the originals. The Russo-Balt's wheels were assembled using wooden elements, and the tires, manufactured using the technologies of that era, were ordered from abroad.
- Ten cars from 1908–1912 were designed and built from scratch for the filming. Additionally, about 25 historical cars were used during filming in Russia, and another 25 during filming in Europe.
- Filming took place in Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region, Moscow, and Montenegro. Scenes on the Côte d'Azur were filmed in a studio, and the circular mud race was filmed at an airfield near the town of Lyuban in the Leningrad region.
- Filming locations include Saint Petersburg and Moscow, as well as Montenegro.
- Ten cars from that era were designed and built from scratch for the shoot. Additionally, approximately 25 historical cars were used during filming in Russia, and an equal number during filming in Europe.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
