The official trailer I caught in January for Akan Satayev’s Herodotean action adventure, Tomiris, was such a find that I hated not catching it sooner. The film eventually opened in October (not September as previously noted) and at some point, Gary Hamilton’s Arclight Films snagged gloabl sales rights, and the word now from Screen Daily‘s Jeremy Kay is that film get treated to a U.S. release on September 29, courtesy of Well Go USA.
Starring Kazakhstan standouts Almira Tursyn (as Tomiris), Adil Akhmetov (as Argun), and Aizhan Lighg (as Sardana)––who perform all of their own action-packed stunts––THE LEGEND OF TOMIRIS tells the real life story of the great queen who, along with her female warriors, united divided nomadic tribes to create a powerful nation capable of repelling the likes of Persia. According to historical accounts, Tomiris and her army very likely served as the downfall of Cyrus the Great, who was foolish enough to challenge the peoples of the Great Steppe and their inimitable leader.
While Queen Tomiris lived 2,500 years ago, her legacy continues to thrive today. She was not only a mother and warrior but also an incomparable strategist credited with the creation of Scythian female warrior divisions that served as the basis for tales of the Amazon warriors. Indeed, Tomiris’ influence was such that her life was described in detail by famed Greek historian Herodotus, her beauty was depicted on many European works of art and her legacy has endured for millennia to inspire people throughout Central Asia.
Tomiris is co-production between Kazakhfilm Studios and Sataifilm, and features actress Aizhan Lighg and Almira Tursyn who reportedly performed all their own stunts. Zhaidarbek Kunguzhinov, whose respective stunt coordination and performances credits partly include Salamat Mukhammed-Ali’s Diamond Cartel, Andrey Kravchuk’s Viking and Simon West’s The Expendables 2, served as stunt coordinator.
“We are grateful to live in a world where there is a strong appetite for real-life stories of powerful women, stories that deserve to be told,” said Hamilton. “Tomiris tells one such story, and coupled with its exquisite landscapes and exceptional production values, it is an epic film that will enthrall audiences.
“When Kazakh-American film producer Gia Noortas (and head of the honorary consulate of Kazakhstan in Los Angeles) introduced us to this special project, we immediately recognised the extraordinary potential of this film. We are thrilled that our friends at Well Go USA are on board to bring the inspiring story of Queen Tomiris to US audiences.”“We have a passion for incredible stories, and few are more compelling than the almost unfathomable life story of the first historical ‘Queen of the Amazons,’” said Well Go USA president and CEO Doris Pfardrescher. “Tomiris viewers will be left awe-struck by this fierce young warrior, who embodied such strength and unwavering love for her people that she overcame great tragedy to protect them at all costs, even when it meant waging war against the most powerful empire the world had ever seen.”
(A previous version of this article was published without the current update on the film’s dated release)