VIDEO: Soviet Dictator’s Demise Turns Darkly Comedic in ‘The Death of Stalin’ Trailer
Steve Buscemi and Jeffrey Tambor star in satire from ‘Veep’ creator Armando Iannucci
August 11, 2017
The demise of infamous Soviet dictator Josef Stalin serves as a catalyst for high comedy in the official trailer for Armando Iannucci’s upcoming dark comedy “The Death of Stalin.”
Iannucci—the creator and original showrunner of HBO and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Emmy-magnet “Veep”—is certainly fluent in political satire, but this time his focus has shifted from the American political system to ’50s Soviet Russia. Based loosely on the actual infighting, backstabbing, and political maneuvering that occurred in the wake of Stalin’s fatal stroke, the film stars Jeffrey Tambor as real-life Soviet official Georgy Malenkov and Steve Buscemi as eventual Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.
Iannucci, who actually quit “Veep” to write and direct “The Death of Stalin,” adapted the script from Fabien Nury’s identically titled graphic novel. The film’s co-stars include “Homeland” actor Rupert Friend, “Quantum of Solace” star Olga Kurylenko, Jason Isaacs, and Adrian McLoughlin as the dearly departed leader himself.
“The Death of Stalin” premieres in September at the Toronto Film Festival before hitting cinemas on Oct. 20. Watch the trailer (above).
