Netflix’s first Russian original series to be a contemporary version of Anna Karenina

Netflix is putting a contemporary spin on Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel Anna Karenina. The modern-day retelling of the story is reportedly going to be titled Anna K. and will star Svetlana Khodchenkova in the titular role. This series will mark Netflix’s debut into Russian originals.

Considered to be one of the greatest novels of all time, Anna Karenina has been tweaked to cater to audiences of our time. In the Netflix version, Karenina is a thriving socialite who is married to the soon-to-be governor of St. Petersburg. When she begins an affair with Vronsky, the heir of an aluminium empire, she finds her familial bonds and social relationships falling. This echoes Tolstoy’s line from the novel: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Set in cosmopolitan Moscow, the show will explore the themes of passion and loyalty in relationships.

Anna K. will be produced by Moscow-based 1-2-3 Production and written by Roman Kantor. The novel has been adapted multiple times in the past, including a 2012 film starring Keira Knightly and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Kantor, confirming his involvement in the project, said, “To bring Anna Karenina into 21st-century Russia and to simultaneously introduce her to the whole world in her own language (and many others) through the miracle of Netflix is a dream come true for me. Quite literally so, as the idea for this TV series came to me in a dream and I have been chasing it ever since.”

Sergey Kornikhin of 1-2-3 Production will be producing the show. “We are really proud to be a part of one of the first Netflix projects in Russia – it is a big honor and a huge responsibility,” he said.

Though the series does not have a release date yet, it is sure to make for an interesting watch as Netflix’s first Russian original. Khodchenka, who will play Anna, has appeared in films like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Wolverine.