Turkish filmmakers are preparing a remake of the Russian comedy “Slave”. According to the Central Partnership company, which will become the distributor of the film in Russia, the main role will be played by Turkish film star Kerem Bursin, familiar to Russian audiences primarily from the series “Knock on My Door” - in which the actor played the talented architect Serkan Bolat. He also starred in such popular TV series as “If You Love Much,” “Waiting for the Sun” and “A Matter of Honor.” The names of the performers of the remaining roles are still unknown, but the authors of the project promise that other popular artists will also star in the film. The well-known director in Turkey, Onur Unul, is responsible for directing.

The remake will retain the main idea of ​​the original source, but overall the script has been significantly rewritten. The plot will focus on a spoiled major from Istanbul named Mete. For re-education, he is “sent” to a 16th-century Ottoman city. 

Filming will begin in the summer. Among the locations will be sites used in the production of the popular historical series “The Magnificent Century” and “Resurrected Ertugrul”. It is there that the Ottoman city will be recreated.

The Turkish film company Kunay Film and the Russian Yellow, Black and White, which had a hand in the creation of “Slave” and its sequel, are working on the film. 

“We expect that in Turkey “Slave” will also become a popular hit and will be loved by the audience. The script of our version has undergone a number of changes, we have a different historical era, sea scenes, pirates and, most importantly, a gorgeous cast of Turkish stars led by Kerem Bursin. We also hope that the Turkish version of the film will find its audience in Russia,” said Kunay Film general producer Karina Mia Satlykova.

  • Kerem Bursin

  • Gettyimages.ru

  • © Carlos Alvare

The premiere of the film “Slave” with Milos Bikovic in the title role took place on December 26, 2019. In the story, the father of 27-year-old major Grisha, after another prank of his spoiled offspring, agrees to an experimental method of re-education. One morning Grisha wakes up not at home in luxury, but in a stable in the village in 1860. There he has no rights, and for any offense the hero can be flogged.

The film collected 3.08 billion rubles, becoming the highest-grossing film in the history of Russian distribution and maintaining the record until the release of “Cheburashka” on January 1, 2023. In January 2024, the film “Slave 2” was released on big screens. In it, the action moved from the village to the palace, and the main character Katya (Aglaya Tarasova) witnessed the invasion of the troops of Napoleon I Bonaparte into the Russian Empire. The second part turned out to be even more successful - the collections amounted to 3.84 billion rubles. At the beginning of March, “Slave 3” was announced; its release is scheduled for January 23, 2025. 

It is known that the rights to adapt “Slave” were bought by ten countries, including France, India, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Japan and South Korea. In 2023, the Mongolian version of the story appeared.

“The appearance of new adaptations of our film is highly appreciated by our foreign colleagues. I’m glad that “Slave” continues to travel around the world,” says the director of the films “Slave” and “Slave 2” Klim Shipenko.

In February 2024, the network began showing the Russian version of the Turkish serial hit “Knock on My Door.” The adaptation takes place in Moscow, and the main roles are played by Nikita Volkov and Liana Grib. The premise of the series almost completely repeats the original one - Sasha Gordeeva dreamed of becoming a landscape designer, but did not finish her studies due to the fact that her scholarship was canceled due to the fault of the company of the architect Sergei Gradsky. The girl decides to take revenge, but gets the opportunity to return to school and take a good position. To do this, she needs to pretend to be Gradsky’s lover.

The remake received mixed reviews from viewers. According to some, the Russian series was not bright and effective enough compared to the original, and between the leading actors there is no such chemistry as there was between Turkish artists. Others believe that the filmmakers managed to fully transfer the romantic fairy tale into Russian realities and create interesting characters whose characters and motives are more understandable and close to the local audience.