Stone Village Finds The Master & Margarita

By Johnny Butane
February 19th, 2008

How much this will appeal to horror fans is really up to their level of patience, I think, and how the film is going to be pulled off, but The Hollywood Reporter learned this morning that Stone Village Pictures and producer Scott Steindroff are bringing Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master & Margarita to the big screen.

The novel, finished right before Bulgakov’s death in 1940 but not seeing release until the late 60’s, begins in pre-war Moscow, with the Devil showing up on Earth and causing deaths and disturbances, eventually bringing together a novelist (The Master) and a devoted lover (Margarita). Then the story switches to the setting of a rejected novel by the Master, set in Jerusalem during the time of Pilate, before finally ending up in a twisted world where Satanic forces have taken over the life of Margarita.

Yeah, it’s a bit of a headfuck and not exactly what one would call light reading, but it should make for an interesting movie if done well. At one point Roman Polanski was supposed to direct it for Warner Bros. but the budget got too big for the studio’s comfort.

No word on who will direct this version, but we’re keeping an eye on it!

- Johnny Butane