Tetris Trailer: Taron Egerton Helps Bring The Classic Video Game To The World

The idea of a "Tetris" movie might sound pretty ridiculous. After all, it's just a puzzle game where you drop down shapes and try to achieve combinations. There's not really a plot and there's barely an objective, so when numerous announcements were made that such a movie was in the works, you may have understandably scoffed. While Larry Kasanoff's science-fiction trilogy may have stalled in the negotiation stages, there is one "Tetris" movie that did end up making it out of production, and it ... actually looks really cool?

"Tetris," directed by Jon S. Baird, is being distributed by Apple TV+, but isn't the type of movie you might think it is. While certainly about the famous puzzle game, there is no attempt to make the game itself out to be a grand lore-heavy adventure. That's because the real story behind the game's popularity is stranger than fiction. As depicted in its trailer, the film will follow developer Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) as he embarks to the Soviet Union to nab the game's rights for the Game Boy console. Unfortunately, he's arrived right as the U.S.S.R. is crumbling, forcing Rogers into a conspiracy unlike anything he could've expected.

Taron Egerton and his incredible mustache will be joined by an eclectic cast of international talent. Nikita Yefremov will portray Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of "Tetris" who strikes up an unlikely alliance with Rogers. Ken Yamamura and Togo Igawa will portray former Nintendo presidents Minoru Arakawa and Hiroshi Yamauchi respectively, while Roger Allam will portray the future disgraced billionaire Robert Maxwell. Anthony Boyle will portray Maxwell's son, Kevin. And yes, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev will appear, being played by Matthew Marsh.

Noah Pink wrote the screenplay that Baird brought to the screen. Matthew Vaughn and Gillian Berrie serve as producers, while the film's executive producers include Egerton, Rogers, and Pajitnov. Brett Ratner had allegedly been interested in making a film like "Tetris" back in 2015, although it's unclear if this project is a direct continuation of that. Thankfully, Ratner and his RatPac Entertainment banner are not involved in this film.

"Tetris" will premiere at the SXSW Film & TV Festival on March 15, 2023, before releasing on Apple TV+ two weeks later on March 31. Check out its official synopsis below:

"'Tetris' tells the unbelievable story of how one of the world's most popular video games found its way to avid players around the globe. Henk Rogers discovers TETRIS in 1988, and then risks everything by traveling to the Soviet Union, where he joins forces with inventor Alexey Pajitnov to bring the game to the masses. Based on a true story, 'Tetris' is a Cold War–era thriller on steroids, with double-crossing villains, unlikely heroes, and a nail-biting race to the finish."