'Young Stalin' biopic in works; to depict his gangster days
A new biopic is in the works based on Simon Sebag Montefiore's biography Young Stalin, which portrays the life of Joseph Stalin as a bank-robbing gangster in pre-revolutionary Russia. Per Variety, the film is being produced by Archil Gelovani and Sergey Yahontov's Georgia-based banner Independent Film Project (IFP), along with Sam Taylor at Film and Music Entertainment, and is financed by Len Blavatnik's Access Entertainment.
'Young Stalin' to showcase his revolutionary journey
Young Stalin is set to go on floors in 2025/26. The film will depict the journey of a young "Soso" (Stalin's nickname given by his mother) who led a group of revolutionaries in a massive bank heist at the Imperial Bank in 1907 Tbilisi, eventually becoming the man known as "Stalin." The plot is described as "the Wild Wild East, made up of Cossacks, Bolshevik gunslingers, the Tsar's secret police and proto-fascistic brigades."
IFP's upcoming projects include 'Winter of the Snow,' 'Ulysses'
IFP is also working on the post-production of Winter of the Snow, a UK/Poland/Georgia co-production starring BAFTA and Oscar nominee Lesley Manville, Tom Burke, and Zofia Wichlacz. The film is a Cold War thriller set in 1981 Warsaw. Additionally, IFP is nearing completion on Ulysses, a Georgia/Luxemburg/Canada co-production from Palme d'Or nominated director Rati Oneli that explores a rapidly changing Georgian society.
