At various times, directors Andrei Tarkovsky and Elem Klimov planned to shoot the film "The Master and Margarita" based on the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. A thread

The adaptation of The Master and Margarita was originally planned by Klimov in tandem with Federico Fellini. Fellini was carried away by Bulgakov's book and certainly wanted to shoot scenes from ancient times, and entrust the Soviet part to one of his Moscow colleagues.

Claudia Cardinale was originally assigned to the role of Margarita.

Elem Klimov started writing the script together with his brother Herman.

It was a creative reading of a classic piece. The authors conceived to show through the prism of the novel the entire recent history of the country, including the destruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (then not yet restored) from the inside.

Woland's dance at the mausoleum was also in the plans. The venue for the ball was to be Red Square. The scene itself promised to be very impressive: the director wanted to show the capital as a city in which all restrictions and prohibitions were lifted.

Special effects were also planned. As the Cat Behemoth, the picture was supposed to feature a certain substance of dark color with a bow hanging on its "neck". However, in an episode in a variety show, Behemoth had to materialize and even dashingly drive the Russian troika.

The reasons why the film never took place. The budget was $ 60 million. The money was found in the USA. But on condition that the actors will be from America. This did not suit Klimov. Actors from the USSR, France and Italy were selected.

The reason is also called that at that moment the film based on "The Master and Margarita" was started by Yuri Kara, also with the participation of foreign producers.

The third reason is mysticism. Klimov dreamed that "there will be no film." Everything was as it really was: at night the director's apartment rang the bell, he ran to open it, fell in the dark, hitting his side hard, and then opened the door and saw the writer's wife, Elena

Bulgakova, on the stairs. The woman apologized for the night visit, and then suddenly began to laugh and declared: “Don't worry! This director will not direct this film. Nobody will shoot this film ”.

In 1981, shortly before leaving for Italy, Andrei Tarkovsky held a series of "creative evenings". The director never appeared on television, did not participate in cinematic parties.

Tarkovsky answered the question about "The Master and Margarita" saying that there are plans to film it, but did not disclose specific dates and other details.

Andrey Tarkovsky spent a lot of time punching his ideas at GOSKINO. The Master and Margarita was most likely disapproved of by Soviet officials, who considered Bulgakov's books to be ideologically harmful.

Here is a list of future films compiled by Tarkovsky in his "Martiralogue" for 1979: 1. "Nostalgia", script by A. Tarkovsky, T. Guerra. Italy, RAI, State Radio and Television.
2. "The Idiot", adaptation of the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky. 2 films for 2 hours. Scenario A.A. Tarkovsky

3. "Flight" - a film about the last year of the life of Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy. Scenario A.A. Tarkovsky.
4. "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" based on the story of L.N. Tolstoy.
5. "The Master and Margarita" based on the novel by M.A. Bulgakov.

6. "The Double" - a film about Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky based on his biography and fiction