Mongol (film)
Mongol (Монгол) is a 2007 semi-historical film directed by Sergei Bodrov. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Bodrov and Arif Aliev. Producers for the film were Bodrov, Sergei Selyanov and Anton Melnik. The film is based on the early life of Temüjin, who later came to be known as Genghis Khan. Actors Tadanobu Asano, Sun Honglei and Khulan Chuluun star in principal roles. It is the first motion picture in a trilogy based on his rule over the Mongol Empire. The first premiere of the film took place on July 31, 2007. Mongol explores abduction, kinship and the repercussions of war.
The film was an intergovernmental co-production between companies in Germany, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia. Filming took place, for the most part, in the People's Republic of China, principally Inner Mongolia (the Mongol autonomous region), and in Kazakhstan. Shooting began in September 2005, and was completed in November 2006. It was commercially distributed by Picturehouse Entertainment theatrically, and by Universal Studios Home Entertainment for home media. Following its release in theaters, the film was nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film as a submission from Kazakhstan. On July 29, 2008, the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released by the Varèse Sarabande label. The film score was composed by musician Tuomas Kantelinen.
Mongol premiered in theaters in wide release in Russia on September 20, 2007. It opened in the United States in limited release on June 6, 2008 grossing $5,705,761 in domestic ticket sales. It earned $20,821,749 in business through international release to top out at a combined $26,527,510 in gross revenue. The film was a minor financial success after its theatrical run, and was generally met with positive critical reviews before its initial screening in cinemas. The second installment of the trilogy, provisionally titled The Great Khan, entered pre-production in 2008 and was planned for a cinematic release in 2010, but as of 2013 is still in development.