--- title: "This “Blockbuster” Movie Will Be Shot Entirely in Vertical Video" description: "Russian director and producer Timur Bekmambetov is producing the first \"vertical blockbuster movie,\" called \"V2. Escape From Hell.\"" date: "2020-02-14" modified: "2020-02-14" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/blockbuster-movie-shot-entirely-vertical-video" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "movie" - "Russia" - "the digest" --- # This “Blockbuster” Movie Will Be Shot Entirely in Vertical Video ![Russian director and producer Timur Bekmambetov is producing the first "vertical blockbuster movie," called "V2. Escape From Hell."]() *\Image: Universal Pictures\* ## Going Vertical It's a highly contested topic: vertical video. On one hand, it's a great way to consume content — think Instagram stories, Snapchat, TikTok and so on. On the other, it's terrible to watch on anything that's not a smartphone screen. But Russian director and producer Timur Bekmambetov thinks it's poised to go mainstream: he's producing the first "vertical blockbuster movie," called "V2. Escape From Hell," [*Deadline* reports](), with a $10 million budget. ## Black Bars And yes, the flick will be targeting the smartphone market. The production is partnering with Russia's biggest mobile phone operator to release it on its own media platform. It's still unclear if the film will eventually be released on other platforms and larger screens. Bekmambetov made headlines back in 2015 for his groundbreaking movie "Hardcore Henry," a $2 million action flick entirely filmed in first person. He also produced an original horror series for Snapchat last year called "[Dead of Night]()," also entirely in vertical video. ## Aspect Ratio Based on real events, "V2. Escape From Hell" will be set in the Second World War, and will follow a captured Soviet pilot who hijacks an aircraft to lead an escape from a German concentration camp. Filming is set to start next week in Russia, according to *Deadline*. There will be two versions: one in Russian and one in English. Release is set for next year. **READ MORE:** [Vertical Movies Are Coming Whether Anyone Actually Wants to Watch Them]() \[*Gizmodo*\] **More on film:** *[Disney’s Live-Action “Mulan” Could Flop in China Due to Virus Outbreak]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()