Kazakhstan could become one of the permanent locations for filming Russian movies, TV series, and entertainment shows. These plans were announced by Alexander Zharov, CEO of Gazprom-Media Holding, as reported by infohub.kz.
According to Zharov, the holding considers Kazakhstan a promising production base for creating films, series, and television projects. He shared this during the III Russian-Kazakhstan Media Forum in St. Petersburg.
Some major projects are already being filmed in Kazakhstan. For instance, part of the film "The Wizard of the Emerald City: The Road from Yellow Brick" was shot in the Charyn Canyon. The sequel also took place in several familiar locations: the Black and Charyn canyons, the Asy plateau, the Buguty mountains, and the village of Kurty.
Beyond cinema, the holding is considering Kazakhstan as a venue for shooting entertainment shows. Zharov cited examples like "Survive in Samarkand," "The Big Jackpot," and "The Emperor's Treasures," noting that similar formats could be produced more often in Kazakhstan in the future.
Cooperation in animation, broadcasting, and digital platforms was also discussed. According to the head of the holding, Kazakhstan is among the largest CIS countries in terms of RUTUBE audience (a Russian YouTube analog), and local creators actively produce content for Russian-speaking audiences.
Such expansion of filming in Kazakhstan may have both pros and cons. On the one hand, international projects bring additional investments, jobs for local specialists, and the opportunity to showcase Kazakhstan's beauty to millions of viewers, boosting tourism. On the other hand, to strengthen the industry, it is important not only to attract foreign shoots but also to create conditions for developing local directors, screenwriters, and producers, so that Kazakhstan remains not just a beautiful location but a full-fledged center of film production.
Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle wrote that footage from the filming of "Armour of God 4" in Aktau was shown online.