Star of the Harry Potter films to star in a film by a Russian director.

Ukrainian actor Harry Melling has been offered the lead role in the film 'Jam with Butterflies' directed by Kantemir Balagov. This information is provided by Deadline. It is known that along with Melling, Barry Keoghan and Ryle Kyo will also star in the film. Character details are yet to be revealed. The events of the film take place in a Circassian community in New Jersey. The central figure of the film is a teenager whose father and aunt own a cafe specializing in Circassian cuisine. The boy dreams of becoming a professional wrestler and trains when he is not helping his parents. However, his life is affected by his father's wrong scheme, and the boy is forced to take responsibility for his father's mistakes.

'Jam with Butterflies' is an English-language film by director Kantemir Balagov, who has had two works at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar. In 2022, he condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and moved to the USA.

The film's screenplay was co-written by director Kantemir Balagov and Russian writer Marina Stepnova. Initially, the film was planned to be shot in Russia under the title 'Monica'. The project is financed by AR Content, Alexander Rodnyansky's company, which also condemned the Russian invasion and left Russia. An important role in the financing is played by Why Not Productions Pascal Caucheteux and Goodfellas.

The film 'Jam with Butterflies' is planned to be released as a participant in the main competition of the Cannes Film Festival 2026.

It is worth noting that the HBO series 'The White Lotus' has come under criticism due to the involvement of Russian actors and screenwriters. The series also features Ukrainians but against the backdrop of Russians. In addition, the star of the series 'Squid Game', South Korean actor Oh Young Soo, was convicted of sexual harassment, for which he will have to serve one year in prison. In Ukraine, the popularity of the game Minecraft has skyrocketed. Since the release of the film based on this game, many viewers have started to visit cinemas, and the fast-food chain McDonald's has launched a promotion with collectible figures from the game.