Tetris is the sleeper hit movie of the season! Who could have predicted the game about falling blocks would be a blockbuster? The film focuses on the origin of the game and how it became a global phenomenon. It was a time when the world was rapidly changing, Michael Jordan was about to go to the NBA, The Karate Kid hits theaters, and The Soviet Union is about to crumble; a time known as 1984. And with the dedication of Henk Rogers, and the support guidance from his wife Akemi Rogers, Henk was able to bring Tetris to Nintendo and consequently to the world!
Tetris Interview with Ayane Nagabuchi
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We had the opportunity to speak with Ayane Nagabuchi, who plays Akemi Rogers, in the film. Tetris is her first globally distributed film, and she shared her excitement to be part of it and experience it with an American audience. American audiences, in contrast to Japanese audiences, are a lot less reserved when it comes to reacting to films. This is the case for both positive and negative reactions. Luckily the reception was overwhelmingly positive at South by South West and Nagabuchi got to experience the celebration in person.
Ayane Nagabuchi: I’m so excited because this is my first international role in a feature film, and this was my first time walking on the red carpet at South by Southwest, and it was my first time watching the movie with an audience in America.
And it was so exciting because compared to Japan, the Japanese audience is really quiet during the movie. But in the United States, and people in America, they clapped their hands during the movie. They laughed during the movie. They were so honest to the story. I felt the honest reaction from the audience in America, so it was really exciting for me.
Ayane Nagabuchi, Akemi Rogers in ‘Tetris’
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Ayane Nagabuchi plays a very pivotal role in Tetris and brings gets to show tremendous range in her portrayal of Akemi Rogers. It is wonderful that she got to experience it with a different culture that fully embraces celebrating and showing their fandom loudly and proudly. Based off the film, it is likely she will get to experience another American red carpet and premiere in the near future.
Tetris releases March 31, 2023, exclusively on Apple TV+
ABOUT TETRIS
Release Date: March 31, 2023, exclusively on Apple TV+
Director: Jon S. Baird
Producers: Gillian Berrie, Gregor Cameron, Matthew Vaughn, Len Blavatnik
Production Companies: Marv Studios, Access Industries
Distributed by: Apple TV+
Music By: Lorne Balfe
MPAA Rating: R
Cast: Taron Egerton, Nikita Efremov, Sofia Lebedeva, Anthony Boyle
Synopsis:
“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 (Taron Egerton) discovers Tetris in 1988, and then risks everything by traveling to the Soviet Union, where he joins forces with inventor Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov) 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.
What do you think about the Tetris movie? Did you have any idea of the crazy road bloacks that almsot prevented the game from being shared with the world? Have you ever thought about how different cultures watch movies? Let us know your thoughts and impressions about the movie on social media!
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