King & Jester: Forever
Punk Fairy Tale
Production
Director
Rustam Mosafir
Scenario
Alexander Buzin
Composer
Aleksey Gorshenev
Producer
Dmitry Nelidov
Actors
Konstantin Plotnikov
Gorshok
Vladislav Konoplev
Knyaz
Darya Melnikova
Widow
Ilya Khvostikov
Head
Vera Gudkova
Princess
Ilya Grishin
Necromant
Anton Lissov
Sid
Gosha Kutsenko
Psychotherapist
Short description
A fantasy world inspired by punk aesthetics faces total collapse as a mad Necromancer raises the dead. The only people capable of stopping the villain are his own creators, two friends named Gorshok and Knyaz, who have been separated by death. This adventure combines elements of comedy and drama as the duo attempts to save their crumbling realm.
The film was directed by Rustam Mosafir, who previously directed The Last Warrior in 2018. Mosafir also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Alexander Buzin. The production was a collaboration between Plus Studio, League Film, and Lunapark Film Company. The main cast includes Konstantin Plotnikov as Gorshok, Vladislav Konoplev as Knyaz, and Ilya Grishin as the Necromant, supported by Darya Melnikova, Ilya Khvostikov, and Vera Gudkova. In total, 41 actors are credited in the production.
Released on February 19, 2026, in Russia, the movie has a runtime of 118 minutes.
What's left behind the scenes
- The face of the Moon is an allusion to the film 'A Trip to the Moon,' except that in the punk universe, she has a mohawk.
- The 'Prince's Workshop' location was found in Saint Petersburg at the intersection of Grota Street and Pesochnaya Embankment and was completely remodeled inside to meet the needs of the film.
- The Princess's crossbow was so heavy that actress Vera Volt suffered from constant back pain. The crown-shaped trap, another of the Princess's attributes, was also problematic—the trap's teeth frequently broke and had to be repaired.
- Initially, Vera Volt was offered a blue-toned wig for the Princess look, but the color didn't work, and only then was it decided to try green. This was paired with lightweight makeup emphasizing the eyelashes in the style of English model Twiggy and the characters from the film 'A Clockwork Orange.' The actress suggested this detail herself.
- The film was shot over 48 filming days. Production took place in Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region, as well as in the Murmansk region on the Rybachy Peninsula.
- After filming, actor Ilya Grishin kept a guitar pick with a heart—the Necromancer's logo—as a souvenir. He used it to play the guitar in the train scene that opens the film.
- In search of a suitable location, the filmmakers visited Kazakhstan and Altai—where the team took a liking to a salt lake, which was later recreated in a studio. To achieve this, a large pool with a capacity of 280 tons was constructed.
- Location shots of the film's fantasy world were captured on the Rybachiy Peninsula. The film crew worked in the late autumn under the very challenging weather conditions of the Arctic, with short daylight hours. At the insistence of director Rustam Mosafir, the team lived in tents, woke up at 4:30 AM, and worked until late at night. One night, strong winds began to pull out the stakes and blow away the tents, forcing them to be urgently secured again.
- During filming, actress Darya Melnikova's wig caught fire from a candle, but it was quickly extinguished.
- Konstantin Plotnikov performed all the stunts in the film himself. One of the most memorable scenes for him was the one in which he used a flamethrower to set fire to a stunt double playing one of the villains.
- The image of the Necromancer was created under the influence of David Bowie and his work, specifically the album 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.' Preparing for the role, Ilya Grishin watched the music videos for 'Starman' and 'Odyssey,' the documentary 'Moonage Daydream,' the musical 'Labyrinth,' and the anime series 'Hellsing'.
- The wax girls surrounding the Necromancer were played by actresses in full-body latex suits that didn't even have eye slits, meaning they had to move and dance blindly.
- The Prince spends most of his screen time wearing a striped black-and-red sweater. The real musician often appeared in public wearing a T-shirt of the same colors.
- More than 200 extras were involved in the tavern scenes, playing dead punks. A unique punk-fantasy costume was crafted for each of them. Work on the costumes took place from August to December 2024. Students and graduates of art universities in Saint Petersburg participated in the creation of the clothing.
- In the film, Gorshok has the same tattoos as he did in the fantasy part of the 'Korol i Shut' series; however, in reality, Mikhail Gorshenev had different tattoos.
- At the start of filming, actor Ilya Grishin already knew how to play the acoustic guitar, and for the movie, he also mastered the electric guitar. He learned the songs 'Necromancer' and 'My Character' by Korol i Shut.
- Director Rustam Mosafir drew inspiration from the films Labyrinth, The Princess Bride, The NeverEnding Story, The Tale of Tales, Legend, Mio in the Land of Faraway, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Brothers Grimm, and What Dreams May Come.
- According to director Rustam Mosafir's vision, actress Vera Volt did not prepare for the scene in which the Princess learns of the Prince's death. Vera only found out about the scene 15 minutes before filming began. To deliver a convincing performance, the actress immersed herself so deeply in the feeling of loss and loneliness that, in her own words, she experienced a genuine shock and continued to cry for another 40 minutes after filming ended.
- A complex three-story set was built in a hangar in an industrial zone near Saint Petersburg for the filming of the movie—a fantasy tavern 30 meters in diameter and over 10 meters high, featuring a rotating carousel stage, a chroma key, and sophisticated lighting solutions. Its construction took more than two months.
- When creating the Necromancer, the costume designers were also inspired by the images of Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, and rock musicians of the 1970s and 80s. The Necromancer's costume is coated in silicone with a red pattern resembling flowing blood. The Necromancer's skeletal hand is operated via a wired remote control.
- To transform Gorshok into the Jester, the artists used prosthetic makeup. To create it, casts were first taken from Konstantin Plotnikov's face, which were then used to mold the masks. Applying the makeup on set took about two hours. Prosthetic makeup was also used to create the Donkey and Grandpa-Spider.
- The design of the tavern is based on the Globe Theatre and the Colosseum. The walls are decorated with giant statues of jesters and frescoes based on the Prince's drawings, reimagined in the style of artist Hieronymus Bosch and art brut. A real kegerator for pouring beer was installed into the set's bar counter.
- The most difficult shifts for actors Konstantin Plotnikov and Vlad Konoplev were those where they had to hang upside down. This was the only episode in which Vlad eventually required a stunt double—despite a series of attempts, he couldn't hold that position for more than 20 seconds. Konstantin, however, hung upside down himself for three shifts, for five minutes or longer each time.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
