Tetris: Trailer for Taron Egerton blockbuster shot in Aberdeen and Glasgow released

They may be separated by more than 2,000 miles but Aberdeen is set to star as Moscow in a new film exploring the remarkable story of one of the world’s most popular video games.

Tetris, starring Taron Egerton, follows the true story of a high-stakes legal battle to secure the rights to the popular puzzle game.

Best known for his roles in the Kingsman trilogy and the Oscar-winning Rocketman, Egerton stars as Dutch entrepreneur Henk Rogers who sees potential in the game and is determined to secure its international distribution rights.

Filming began in Glasgow in December 2020, including at Glasgow Prestwick Airport on the Ayrshire coast.

Tetris follows the story of how the beloved game wound up on Gameboys across the world. (Image: Apple TV+) Apple TV+

Following this, in February 2021, the production moved to Aberdeen at locations including the University of Aberdeen’s Zoology Building, which was used as the headquarters of Soviet firm Elorg.

Speaking with STV News at the time, Scots movie director Jon S Baird described filming in his native city of Aberdeen as a “dream come true”.

The Granite City was chosen because it hosts similar brutalist architecture which inspired the Russian creator of the computer game, Alexey Pajitnov.

The film was shot in Glasgow and Aberdeen, with the latter standing in for Soviet Russia. (Image: Apple TV+) Apple TV+

The trailer for the film, released on Thursday evening, features several shots of well-known spots in city centre.

These include a drone shot of the city’s high rises on Gallowgate, and the old Halliburton building in Dyce as the supposed Nintendo HQ.

The dramatic teaser turns the video game biopic into a Cold War spy-esque thriller, following Rogers’ quest to get the franchise onto the Nintendo Game Boy — a process that involved negotiations with Soviet Union officials and several messy legal battles.

The Granite City was chosen because it hosts similar brutalist architecture which inspired the Russian creator of the game, Alexey Pajitnov. (Image: Apple TV+) Apple TV+

Nikita Yefremov plays Pajitnov, while Toby Jones, Roger Allam, Anthony Boyle, Togo Igawa, Ken Yamamura, Ben Miles, and Matthew Marsh portray various figures involved in the legal dispute.

Tetris will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival next month, and is scheduled to be released on March 31 by Apple TV+.

Official Trailer — Tetris@TaronEgerton stars in #Tetris — the game you couldn’t put down, the story you couldn’t make up.

Streaming March 31 on Apple TV+ pic.twitter.com/yKWXX6ciEZ
— Apple TV+ (@AppleTVPlus) February 16, 2023