Last weekend, the Russian and CIS box office spotlight shone brightly on Ice-3, directed by Yuri Khmelnitsky, as it set a record with earnings of 527.7 million rubles. The figures came from kinobusiness.com and cover the period from February 15 to 18. The film’s fresh surge demonstrates how a sci‑fi‑tinged sports saga can captivate a broad audience, balancing high‑energy skating sequences with intimate family and romantic threads that resonate beyond the rink. This performance cements Ice-3 as a major player in the regional cinema landscape and signals strong staying power for a franchise that has grown with its fans over time.
In this final chapter of the Ice series, Nadya, the central heroine, is now a seasoned figure skater chasing the Ice Cup dream that her mother pursued. Her father, Sasha Gorin, remains wary about the dangers of elite sports and his daughter’s safety, which adds a grounded emotional layer to the relentless pace of practice, competition, and media attention. During training, Nadya crosses paths with a talented young hockey player from Moscow, and the encounter blossoms into a romance that adds new stakes to her goals. The film features performances by Anna Savranskaya in the title role and Stepan Belozerov, while returning to the board are Alexander Petrov as Sasha Gorin and Maria Aronova as the steadfast figure skating coach Irina Shatalina, anchoring the film’s emotional core with their familiar dynamic.
The number two position went to the fantasy drama The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Lokshin, which earned 208.2 million rubles. The story unfolds in 1930s Moscow, where a renowned writer becomes entangled in a literary uproar and otherworldly intrigues. The cast includes Evgeny Tsyganov, Yulia Snigir, August Diehl, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Alexey Rozin, among others, delivering a blend of magical realism and sharp social commentary that has drawn audiences and critics alike. This adaptation continues to be a talking point for its ambitious fusion of genres and its bold reimagining of a classic text for the screen.
In third place sits the family musical Bremen Town Musicians from director Alexei Nazhny, which amassed 27.6 million rubles. Adapted from the beloved cartoon, the film follows a bard and his friends as they rally to cheer up the king’s daughter, a quest that blends humor, music, and heartwarming camaraderie. The ensemble cast features Tikhon Zhiznevsky, Valentina Lyapina, Roman Kurtsyn, Irina Gorbacheva, Askar Nigamedzyanov, and a host of familiar faces who bring the story to life with warmth and charm. This title illustrates how animated or animated-inspired fare continues to find family audiences, especially when it leans into genuine warmth and adventure rather than spectacle alone.
On the awards front, the legacy of Oppenheimer continues to echo in industry conversations as it secured BAFTA recognition, notably a nomination for Best Film. The conversation around this film underscores the enduring role of prestige cinema in shaping audience expectations and industry conversations, even as genre and local market hits compete for attention and box office momentum. The mix of independent storytelling, high‑level production values, and strategic release timing remains a key driver for success across cinema markets, including Canada and the United States, where audiences respond to strong character arcs, familiar franchise beats, and films that balance spectacle with emotional resonance. Citations and industry chatter from regional outlets corroborate these trends, highlighting how regional markets react to each title’s unique blend of genre and narrative ambition.