The premiere of the crime drama "Obnalschik" on Wink.ru will take place on November 13.

      The premiere of the eight-episode drama “The Cash-Out Operator” (18+) will take place on November 13, 2025, exclusively on the online cinema Wink.ru (a joint venture of Rostelecom and NMG). The project was helmed by the well-known director Boris Akopov, who previously directed the films “Bull” (18+) and “Cat” (18+), as well as the series “On Autopilot” (18+). The series was produced by Star Media on behalf of NMG Studio.

      Starring Alexander Yatsenko, Elena Nikolaeva, Fyodor Kudryashov, Farhad Mukhametzyanov, Sofia Lopunova, Olga Tumaykina, Evgeny Kharitonov, Igor Mirkurbanov, Sabina Akhmedova and Wan Shen. One of the main roles in the series rightfully belongs to a colorful local character from Primorsky Krai, where the action takes place. Nearly half the shooting days were spent in the cities of Nakhodka and Vladivostok.

      The events of the series take place in 2013; at the center of the plot are the relationship between father Mikhail and his son Lesha. After the head of the family's business collapses, they move from the metropolis to the town of Vostochny. At first glance this seems like provincial backwater, but in fact a gambling zone is being built here that will turn the town into a new point of attraction. Lesha invents a cash-out technique by which millions can be moved safely and even almost legally. Desperate, Mikhail decides to enter the business and instantly raises the stakes. Father and son begin cashing out money for the region’s most dangerous players. The threat of prison terms, murders, betrayals — this is now their new reality.

      Boris Akopov, director:

      “For me this is a story about family, about searching for basic values that should always be present in our lives, about the right relationships between fathers and children. About how the characters try to integrate into new circumstances and into a strange town. It’s an exciting story, it has dynamics and lift; questions of life and death arise — the stakes are very high here. At the center of the plot is the family: father, mother and son. I wanted us to have a cohesive team so you could feel that this is a real family. So that the viewer is confident that the main characters have many years of shared life behind them, with problems they are trying to solve. I’m also interested in working with young actors because I want to discover new faces and talents. Perhaps our series will become a springboard for their acting careers.”

      Fyodor Kudryashov, actor:

      “My character Lesha is a teenager who is always trying to grow up. He tries to distance himself from his parents. The circumstances that happen to him force him to solve everything on his own. Because of this, problems begin that we will show in the series. During preparation for the role I learned what blockchain and Bitcoin are and how all this is related to NFTs. I think that on set I formed an excellent tandem with ‘my father’ Alexander Yatsenko. Even off set we could meet with him to discuss certain scenes, go over the script text, learn something together.”

      Alexander Yatsenko, actor:

      “My character Mikhail, like me, is at odds with pedagogy and upbringing. Nevertheless, he tries to find a common language with his son, to come to an agreement. You know how it is: you do the wrong thing, and because of it your whole life starts to change in the wrong direction. And then it’s very hard to rewind, admit you were wrong, apologize and start to change things… Our series is exactly about that: how a person makes a mistake and tries to get out of it. Mikhail is not a very good man and father, but his love for his son and wife keeps him from completely turning into a criminal.”

      Elena Nikolaeva, actress:

      “I think I created the image of a somewhat unbalanced woman who takes on everything, but mostly nothing works out for her. At the moment her family moves from a big city to a small coastal town, the heroine remembers that she used to be a psychologist. The husband is constantly at work, the son disappears somewhere, and sitting within four walls is boring — why not return to the profession? I won’t say what came of it; viewers will see everything for themselves.”

      In Vladivostok the crew worked at the sea terminal “Port Pospelovo,” the bays Tikhaya and Voivoda, Tobizina Cape and the caves. The atmospheric Chinatown in Vladivostok helped the crew show how Asian reality is woven into Russian life. The quarter will appear as a living, original space with its own aesthetics and rhythm. A noisy market, a rooftop bar decorated with carved wooden details, and characteristic architectural elements create a special borderland atmosphere where different cultures and destinies intersect.

      In Nakhodka Boris Akopov happened to see from the highway the house where he settled the main characters. It stands right on the shore of the bay between two hills. The house was old, and for the shoot it was slightly altered and a veranda was added. The owner of the property was hired as one of the production crew, was paid a salary and, along with everyone else, brought his garden and the plot into order. In general, the locals took the most active part in the work on the series. They were not only involved in filming various episodes but also became part of the crew.

      Georgy Golitsyn, production designer:

      “The entire world of this project was invented in the months before filming began. We drew sketches, came to Primorye in advance to study the area. From that time — 2013 — we took the cars, phones and the background advertising language. For example, you will be able to see banners on screen. If you remember, that period had many such advertising stretches and inscriptions that literally shouted something on every corner.”

      Boris Akopov, director:

      “I always wanted not just to visit the Far East, but to work here. Through cinema you can see a whole life, but in a very short time. Having gotten to know Primorye and the people who worked with us on set — the actors, the technical crew — I want to develop cinema in the regions. I think the viewer wants to see how our large country lives.”

      About the series “The Cash-Out Operator” (18+)

      Genre: Crime, drama

      Episodes: 8

      Production: Star Media on behalf of NMG Studio

      Star Media producers: Nadya Rechter-Gareva, Semyon Zakruzhny, Maria Grechishnikova, Tatyana Serebrennikova

      NMG Studio producers: Fyodor Bondarchuk, Dmitry Tabarchuk

      NMG Studio creative producers: Andrey Zolotarev, Ilya Knapsky

      Wink producers: Anton Volodkin, Alexander Kosarim, Zakhar Chavkin

      Director: Boris Akopov

      Screenwriters: Elena Vanina, Kirill Kulagin

      Director of photography: Mikhail Dementyev

      Production designer: Georgy Golitsyn

      Costume designer: Valeria Ryskina

      Makeup artist: Evgenia Malay

      Prop master: Yulia Zenikova

      Starring: Alexander Yatsenko, Elena Nikolaeva, Fyodor Kudryashov, Farhad Mukhametzyanov, Sofia Lopunova, Olga Tumaykina, Evgeny Kharitonov, Igor Mirkurbanov, Sabina Akhmedova, Wan Shen, Alexey Oshurkov, Elena Nesterova and others.

      Photo provided by PJSC Rostelecom.

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