Taron Egerton plays a Dutch-American video game developer who traveled to Soviet Russia during the Cold War in an attempt to secure global rights to Tetris.
He has lately branched out into gritty and intense dramas from musicals and comedies.
His most recent role is in a Cold War drama about the classic video game Tetris.
In a tale of espionage, cunning, and international diplomacy, Egerton portrays Henk Rogers, a Dutch video game designer who battled Robert Maxwell to secure the global distribution rights to Tetris from the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War.
“I didn’t know the story, but I thought it was wild, so it was an instant affirmative.”
“However, I’ve collaborated with Matthew [Vaughn] on several features, so I’m familiar with his style and the tone of the things he creates, and I could see what this had the potential to be.”
He is the most recent major celebrity to enter the world of video games, following recent successes. The Last Of Us, Uncharted, and the upcoming Hollywood-starring Super Mario film.
“I believe it’s because Hollywood works on recognizable IP (intellectual property) now. And the games provide recognisable IP,” he told Backstage.
“That’s a slightly cynical answer, but I do believe it’s the truth,” he did admit.
For studios without superhero properties, video gaming is a smart option for movies that could draw big audiences.
“I think what’s slightly different about our film is that it’s not really about the game. It’s a worthwhile, exciting narrative about the rights to a game, but it still benefits from that well-known IP.”
The film, which is now available on Apple TV+, benefited from having real-life Henk Rogers and the creator of Tetris, Alexey Pajitnov, in the writer’s room, assisting to develop the project.
“We worked on the script and were involved from the very beginning. But when we saw it on the screen, it was like a shock,” Rogers told Backstage. “It was an incredible incredible experience.”
It’s very true in spirit that we see our lives compressed into a few hours.
When questioned about Tetris’ enduring popularity, Rogers responded, “Tetris is a game that anyone can play – that’s the key difference.”
There is no gender or age – it was the first game that was played by women in large numbers. Many people played games for the first time because we broke the gender limit.”
Pajitnov reflected on the Soviet Union at the time he lived there (he migrated to the US in the 1990s to work with Rogers), telling Backstage: “Unfortunately, the situation now is even darker than what was depicted in the film, as the Soviet Union was on the verge of collapse at the time.
We had hope during perestroika, the Soviet Union’s restructuring, but the situation is now much worse.
