Rise of the Empire

Upcoming historical drama Rise of the Empire follows Peter the Great after his return from the Grand Embassy. The story focuses on his effort to establish Russia as a major power through a long conflict with Sweden to gain access to the Baltic Sea. Throughout this process, he must navigate betrayal and failure to secure victory and achieve the title of emperor.

The film is directed by Andrey Kravchuk, following his previous projects Admiral, Viking, and Once In The Desert. The screenplay was written by Andrey Zolotarev and produced by Nikita Mikhalkov, Leonid Vereshchagin, and Anton Zlatopolskiy. The cast includes Sergey Garmash as Franz Lefort and Mathe Kabe as Karl XII. Produced in Russia by companies including Cinema Fund, Russia-1, Central Partnership, and Studio Trite, the movie is scheduled for release on October 29, 2026.