Apple TV+ has ordered its first original Russian-language show. Container is another production from Apple that is not originally in English and follows other shows, such as Tehran and Dr. Brain.
As revealed exclusively by Variety, Container is a co-production deal with subscription-based streaming service START. The show stars The Bourne Supremacy’s Oksana Akinshina alongside Russian screen stars Filipp Yankovskiy (The Three Musketeers), Marusya Fomina (Gold Diggers), and Artem Bystrov (Earthquake).
According to Variety, Container will launch on Apple TV+ in spring 2022. As of now, it’s premiered in Russia and CIS on START in September.
Described as “bold” and “unflinching,” the series sees Akinshina play Sasha, a surrogate mother hiding a dangerous secret who reluctantly finds herself ensconced in the luxurious home of the rich family whose baby she is gestating. As Sasha navigates the privilege and politics of the super-rich, both her secrets and theirs threaten to collide.
The series was directed by Maksim Sveshnikov (257 Reasons to Live) from a screenplay written by Alexey Lyapichev (257 Reasons to Live). It is produced by Eduard Iloyan, Vitaly Shlyappo, Alexey Trotsyuk, Denis Zhalinsky, and Mikhail Tkachenko.
This TV show will be the first of many that will be available in Apple TV+ due to a deal with Alexander Rodnyansky’s production company AR Content, which is set to “deliver a slate of Russian-language and multi-language shows to Apple.”
