The Master and Margarita

Premise

In 1930s Moscow, a prominent writer's works are suddenly censored by the Soviet state and the premiere of his theatrical play about Pontius Pilate is canceled for ideological reasons. He is expelled from the Union of Soviet Writers, and quickly turns into an outcast with no means to survive.

Inspired by Margarita, his mistress, he begins working on a new novel in which all the characters are satirically reinterpreted from his life. The novel's central character is Woland, a mystical dark force who visits Soviet Moscow as a tourist, and avenges all those who caused the writer's downfall.

As the writer sinks himself deeper and deeper into his novel, adding himself and Margarita as characters, he gradually stops noticing as the border between reality and his imagination fades away.

Cast

August Diehl as Woland, the Devil who visits Moscow

Yevgeny Tsyganov as the Master, a writer desperate to survive

Yuliya Snigir as Margarita, the Master's mistress

Claes Bang as Pontius Pilate, the main character of the Master's play

Yuri Kolokolnikov as Korovyev, Woland's right-hand man

Aleksey Rozin as Azazello, a sharpshooter in Woland's entourage

Polina Aug as Hella, a succubus in Woland's entourage / Gala, an aspiring actress

Yura Borisov as the voice of Behemoth, Woland's cat

Leonid Yarmolnik as Dr Stravinsky, the head of the insane asylum

Jana Sekste as Praskovya Fedorovna, the nurse in the insane asylum

Igor Vernik as George Bengalsky, the People's Artist of the USSR

Marat Basharov as Stepan Likhodeyev, the director of the theatre

Aleksei Guskov as Boris Maigel, the former baron who now serves as the NKVD agent

Yevgeny Knyazev as Mikhail Berlioz, the editor-in-chief of the literary magazine

Danil Steklov as Ivan Bezdomny, a naive young poet that Woland first meets in Moscow,

Production

In 2018, the film was announced as being in production, with two major Russian producers helming the project: Ruben Dishdishyan and Igor Tolstunov. Nikolai Lebedev was set to direct. By 2020, however, the project still had not taken off. At some point, Lebedev had left the project.

Instead, Michael Lockshin, director of The Silver Skates, co-wrote a new script with Roman Kantor in 2020 and directed the film in 2021. The new script intertwined the novel with Bulgakov's life. The film had a working title Woland. The producers were Ruben Dishdishyan, Igor Tolstunov and Leonard Blavatnik. 40% of the funding was provided by the Cinema Foundation of Russia.

In July 2021 it was announced that August Diehl will be playing Woland.

Filming began in July 2021 in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Malta, and concluded in October 2021.

Mars Media announced that the film would be released on January 1, 2023, with Universal Pictures acting as distributor.

In August 2022, it was announced that the release date would be pushed to late 2023, due to Universal Pictures leaving Russia over the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and problems with funding the film's post-production.

In July 2023, it was announced that the films' release would be pushed once again - to 2024. The release date of January 25, 2024 was announced just a short time before the film came out.

In April 2023 it was announced that the title of the film would be The Master and Margarita. Originally the title Woland was floated as a possible one for the CIS release, while The Master and Margarita was the international title.

The characters in the film speak in Russian, German, Latin and Aramaic.

Reception

The film was released to positive reviews from film critics, and hailed as the first successful adaptation of the notoriously "unadaptable" novel. Anton Dolin, one of Russia's most influential film critics called it "the first good adaptation" of Bulgakov's novel and the "best commercial movie in modern Russian history". Other prominent film critics like Andrei Plakhov, as well as Bulgakov academics and cultural figures like Dmitry Bykov and Ekaterina Shulman also praised the film. The Los Angeles Times reviewer called the film "... the first worthy film adaptation of Bulgakov's novel [with] scaldingly relevant parallels to Putin's Russia."

The German and Austrian press reacted with broad acclaim on the film's release in summer of 2025, praising the film's visual opulence, bold adaptation choices, and its mix of satire, fantasy, and political critique. Major outlets such as Die Zeit, Welt am Sonntag, and FAZ highlighted its artistic daring, with some calling it one of the most successful literary adaptations in recent years. They emphasized the film's skillful handling of Bulgakov's complex novel and its timely resonance as both a critique of Soviet history and a reflection on contemporary Russia.

The Italian press highlighted both the film's political resonance and artistic achievement, framing it as a work of resistance to censorship and authoritarianism. Outlets such as Corriere della Sera called it “an anti-totalitarian work against censorship,” a remarkable kaleidoscopic film, and L’Occhio del Cineasta highlighted its “ability to transform a complex literary work into a film".

Many viewers noted the timeliness of the film, as the period piece about the 1930s - resonated with news about the rise of censorship and repressions in contemporary Russia. The Guardian noting that "As Russia becomes more repressive, it is possible that Master and Margarita could be one of the last films of its kind, a blockbuster where the criticism of the state lies on the service."

On release day in Russia January 25, 2024, the film opened to 57.3 million rubles. By its second weekend, the film had made 1 billion rubles, according to the Cinema Foundation of Russia. By March 2024, the movie became the highest-grossing movie released with an 18+ content rating ever in Russia, with over 2.3 billion rubles in the box office (over 5 million admissions).