Comedy movie The Death of Stalin may be banned in Russia

‘The Death of Stalin’, the new comedy from ‘Veep’ and ‘The Thick Of It’ creator Armando Iannucci, could be banned in Russia.

The Guardian reports that a high-ranking official in the Russian culture ministry has called the film ‘a planned provocation’.

Pavel Pozhigailo has said that the movie could be part of a plot by the west intended to destabilize Russian society, and it would be up to officials in the culture ministry to decide whether the movie is intended to ‘incite hatred’.

If so, it would be banned from distribution in Russia, with a spokesperson for the Kremlin saying that it would abide by the ministry’s recommendations.

For its part, the Russian Communist Party has already called the movie ‘revolting’, while Vzglyad, a pro-Kremlin newspaper, has said that it should not be released in Russia, as it represents ‘a nasty send-up by outsiders who know nothing of our history’.

The movie, which boasts an all-star cast, tells the story of the power struggle which consumed the Kremlin following Joseph Stalin’s sudden death in 1953.

It stars Jeffrey Tambor as Georgy Malenkov, who briefly succeeded Stalin, but who was soon replaced by Nikita Khrushchev, played by Steve Buscemi.

Also on the bill are Olga Kurylenko, Michael Palin, Simon Russell Beale, Paddy Considine, Jason Isaacs, Andrea Riseborough and Paul Whitehouse.

It’s due for release in the UK on October 20.

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