Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov is OK with the movie’s silly spy antics

Apple’s movie Tetris tells a truly extraordinary story from the gaming history books: the time a scrappy video game promoter, Henk Rogers, battled Britain’s evil media moguls, Robert and Kevin Maxwell, to win the handheld rights to the greatest game of all time from a dying, paranoid Soviet Union. The incredible origin story behind Game Boy is here Tetris, and it doesn’t seem like it should need embellishing.

However, the scenes of surprisingly intense contract negotiations are very close to what is recorded in the history. Tetris The movie, however, is a heightened version of this story. It’s a frothy Cold War thriller in which Tetris Alexey Pajitnov, the creator, takes control of a dramatic car chase. Rogers has a romance with a KGB agent. Robert Maxwell hits a Russian official. Minoru Arakawa, Howard Lincoln, and Nintendo executives run wild through the airport. They are being pursued by Soviet goons.

“We’re not doing this documentary version of [the Tetris story],” director Jon S. Baird tells Polygon. “There’s a really great documentary called Russia with LoveThe video is also available online at YouTube. It’s a really great story, but, you know, to make a two-hour version of it, you need to sort of Hollywood-ize, if that’s a word, the tale.” Baird and screenwriter Noah Pink certainly did that with Tetris, in a brazen way that’s arguably cheesy and inauthentic, but could also be called disarmingly honest. You can’t really mistake Tetris’ spy-romp flourishes for the real thing.

Baird and Pink also had the support of the film’s subjects. “We got involved in the scriptwriting from the very beginning,” says Pajitnov. The man was dressed in a tie for our interview. Tetris He is wearing a T-shirt, and he sits next to Rogers, his partner in crime. The Tetris Company was founded by the couple after the events shown in the film. “We did our part to make it as truthful as possible, but we always understood we needed to compromise on several points. Our lives are compressed into a two-hour movie. Some exaggeration may be acceptable at this point. But I want to say that, spiritually and emotionally, it’s a very right and very truthful story told from the screen.”

Baird echoes that: “We didn’t do anything without their knowledge… And Henk said, ‘Look, everything you’ve got is 100% true to the emotional journey that me and Alexey had.’ I thought it was a lovely way of saying, ‘Yeah, go on and and take artistic license.’”

A bold but on-the nose stylistic decision made by the directors is to use 8-bit pixelated graphic graphics to increase exposition, action scenes and establishing shots. Baird comments that it was a last-minute decision to give a movie originally intended as a thriller a retro gaming vibe. “When we got in post, we thought, For gaming enthusiasts, it is important to acknowledge the importance of the gaming industry.So that was later. Matthew had many such ideas. [Vaughn, Kingsman director], our producer, had.”

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Some of the above aren’t available. TetrisIt is just as bizarre as it appears. To unfamiliar viewers, the Maxwells — the bullying tycoon Robert and his odious son Kevin — may come across as sub-Succession cartoon villains. British viewers will be able to recall their depictions as they are. In fact, one notable source reckons the villainy of the film’s version of Robert Maxwell is understated. “I talked to Kevin Maxwell before we shot the film, just to get his blessing that we could use his likeness,” Baird says. “And he said, ‘The one thing I would say is, you’ve not gone hard enough on my father. My father was way worse than you’ve got him.’”

Baird’s eye for casting smaller roles is one of the film’s saving graces. Oleg Shtefanko plays the role of the Russian negotiator Nikolai Belikov. Ben Miles is a flawless Howard Lincoln. Togo Igawa portrays the horribly impassive Easter Island lookenance of Hiroshi Yamauchi, the legendary Nintendo president. Just because the film is heightened, it doesn’t mean the details shouldn’t be right, Baird says. “I’ve done a few true stories, and why not try and get everything as close as you can, you know? That’s what I do. It doesn’t matter if you have different accents or if your clothes are different. Just try to get it right. You’re not going to get everything right, but try,” he says.

Rogers and Pajitnov both agree that, in spite of its absurd elements, Rogers’ movie, which was shot in Scotland, captures the spirit of Moscow in 1980s Moscow. Rogers feels this part is closest to what he has experienced in his own life. “The negotiation, the disorientation… You know, the Soviet Union [then] was kind of like North Korea is today,” Rogers says. “If you can imagine going to North Korea and trying to do a deal with somebody, you’re certainly breaking laws, you’re certainly going to get in trouble. It was like that when I was walking around. I was constantly evaluating what I could accomplish and how far. As I progressed, I said: Okay, that’s possible. Ooh, now I can go to somebody’s house! It’s like speeding and not getting caught.”

“That was a very dark time,” Pajitnov says. “The Soviet Union was ready to fall apart. At the same moment, there was Perestroika, a time of great hope and Glasnost. Some energy came from spreading freedom. It was hopeful. That’s why we were so courageous during this stuff, and kind of going against all this evil force.”

“On the last day when we signed the contract, you know, I wanted everybody to celebrate by having a drink of vodka,” Rogers says. “And it was illegal to drink inside of a government building at that point. And so they posted people at the windows and at the door, to make sure no one witnessed this.” Pajitnov chuckles at the memory. “Yeah, you remember!”

That isn’t James Bond levels of action-adventure, but it isn’t a typical business negotiation, either. Perhaps it’s a shame to lose credible details like this in favor of face-punching and car chases. Perhaps it doesn’t matter, and it’s all just a bit of fun. Maybe, Pajitnov said, “The possibilities are endless.” Tetris Movies are just trying to tell the truth in the best way Hollywood can: With bells on.

TetrisApple TV Plus premieres the film on March 31.