A producer revealed at the premiere of the family comedy Manyunya: Adventures in Moscow that a character in the film will visually resemble Yuri Nikulin. The disclosure came from Film Distributor’s Bulletin, which noted the decision to bring Nikulin back to life on screen through a likeness created for the story.
During the presentation at NMG Kinoprokat, the filmmakers explained that they obtained consent from Nikulin’s family to use the legendary actor’s image. The recreation, crafted after eight months of meticulous work, aims to place Nikulin among the main characters as the adventures of Manyunya and his friends unfold in the early 1980s. Despite this prominent role, the plan is to keep Nikulin out of trailers and other promotional materials to preserve the surprise for audiences.
The project taps into a broader curiosity about reviving real figures from the past using modern technology. In 2023, Vladimir Vysotsky’s son weighed in on the idea of creating his father’s likeness for the movie Volodya through neural networks. The discussion reflected a mix of excitement and caution about the artistic and ethical implications of machine-generated performances.
Vysotsky’s son commented that the technology has advanced to a scale that invites fresh storytelling possibilities, while also acknowledging the need for careful justification and responsible use. He offered a warm wish for the filmmakers, expressing interest in seeing how the approach influences the final work.
Recent industry chatter has also touched on earlier projects where filmmakers faced reality-checks about reviving public figures. One notable example involved a producer named Sergei Zhukov translating Money for Crocus victims, underscoring the broader conversation about representation, memory, and the ethical boundaries of digital likenesses in cinema.