Tetris: the story behind one of the most addictive games ever gets first trailer

Last Updated on February 23, 2023

Apple has released the first trailer for the upcoming movie Tetris…yes, there is a movie about Tetris coming out.

The very idea of a Tetris movie may sound goofy–suggesting it might be an animated movie about a group of ragtag tetromino teaming up to take on the Soviets–but there is actually a lot of backstory behind the classic game. And while our version sounds like a surefire Oscar winner, let’s let Apple give the actual plot synopsis:

“Tetris” tells the unbelievable story of how one of the world’s most popular video games found its way to avid players around the globe. Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) discovers Tetris in 1988, and then risks everything by travelling to the Soviet Union, where he joins forces with inventor Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov) to bring the game to the masses. Based on a true story, “Tetris” is a Cold War–era thriller on steroids, with double-crossing villains, unlikely heroes, and a nail-biting race to the finish.”

The trailer explores all of this and more, including an aspect of the game most of us have probably experienced. Early in the trailer, one character states, “This game isn’t just addictive. It stays with you.” This seems to be a reference to an actual phenomenon called the Tetris effect, in which someone who plays the game for too long has trouble shaking the shapes out of their head.

In addition to Taron Egerton’s Henk Rogers, who helped make Tetris one of the biggest game sensations ever, other key figures featured in the movie include Tetris designer Alexey Pajitnov, Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi and Soviet Union head (with his own weird shapes) Mikhail Gorbachev.

Tetris was one of the inaugural inductees into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Joining it was Super Mario Bros., a property that will also get a movie early this year–although it won’t explore the sordid details behind its success…

Tetris comes to Apple TV+ on March 31st.

What do you think of the trailer? Does the story behind the success and legacy of Tetris seem like a story worth exploring on the big screen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!