This summer, Ukraine’s leading media group and production company, Film.UA Group, released “The Witch. Revenge,” a horror film that has already sparked intense discussion and garnered widespread attention. The ancient witch from the Ukrainian town of Konotop (a place long believed to be the birthplace of many witches) renounced her powers after falling in love with a mortal man. However, when war breaks out and Russian soldiers occupy the city, brutally murdering her beloved, she decides to take revenge on them. She reclaims her powers and subjects her fiancé’s killers to horrendous and bloody retribution.
The Ukrainian Nerd agency successfully launched a licensing program that attracted brands across various categories. This initiative has given a significant boost to the Ukrainian film industry through groundbreaking collaborations with leading Ukrainian manufacturers, resulting in unique collections that reflect the film’s deep symbolism.
“The Witch. Revenge” premiered in Ukraine on August 22. During the first weekend, the movie attracted over 72,000 admissions and topped the weekend’s box office. “The Witch. Revenge” earned three times the box office of “The Crow,” which premiered at the same time, and “The Alien: Romulus,” released a week before. International sales are ongoing, while the film is set to launch on a major streaming platform for Central and Eastern Europe on Halloween.
The most organic licensing category for the film was the novelization of its screenplay. Leading Ukrainian publisher KSD released a novelization of “The Witch. Revenge,” featuring a tie-in cover and illustrations from the movie. This edition expands the universe created by the film, offering fans a deeper dive into the story and characters, including scenes that didn’t make it into the final cut due to time constraints.
When the jewelry brand Zolota Kraina joined the licensing program, they integrated licensed jewelry designs into the book’s illustrations, further enriching the film’s universe and creating a strong connection between licensed products and the story. A cross-promotion was also launched, and those who purchase the “The Witch. Revenge” book automatically take part in a giveaway for the licensed jewelry.
The “Zolota Kraina x The Witch. Revenge” jewelry collection combines traditional Ukrainian and modern designs, with the centerpiece being a pendant featuring the film’s main symbol, the “Witch’s Amulet: Horror Helmet.” Other jewelry items include minimalist and stylish earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets made of silver with gold plating, all unified by a single design concept. The “Motanka” pendant, based on a traditional Ukrainian charm in the shape of a doll resembling a cross from a distance, is particularly striking.
The collection was first revealed to the public in a music video for the film’s OST, performed by Ukrainian pop star Zlata Ognevich, who is also the face of Zolota Kraina. In the first week of sales and the film’s release, a charitable performance by Ognevich and a jewelry collection presentation took place at one of Kyiv’s largest shopping malls, with all proceeds going to support Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Promo videos in the style of the Witch universe were specially created for the jewelry collection, featuring costumes and props from the film. The jewelry collection launch is currently supported by themed window displays and a powerful advertising campaign across outdoor, TV, digital, and LED screens at points of sale.
Furthermore, there was a cross-promotion with the biggest cinema chain in Ukraine, Multiplex. A prize draw of themed jewelry is planned for those who buy tickets to the movie. Zolota Kraina promotes the idea of going to Multiplex theaters to watch “The Witch. Revenge,” while the cinema chain advertises the licensed collection.
Collaboration with Aviatsiya Halychyny includes a rebellious clothing line, featuring T-shirts and skirts that combine fashion, traditional Ukrainian style, and symbols from the movie. The brand also produced a promotional video in the film’s universe with an influencer. Arley Sign company launched a collection of temporary tattoos, and Rozum company will release a board game based on “The Witch. Revenge” universe on Halloween.
Collaboration with the M-Tac military brand stands out as the first instance where a military brand took on an entertainment brand license. M-Tac, the biggest military brand in Ukraine and a love mark for the country’s defenders, released military patches featuring symbols from the film, imbued with sacred meanings. The first shipment sold out in a day, leading to the production of a new, larger batch. The most rewarding aspect was seeing frontline soldiers posting pictures of themselves with the patches. M-Tac plans to launch “The Witch. Revenge” T-shirts soon.
Iryna Kostyuk, producer of "The Witch. Revenge" referred to the development of the industry in her country: "We create universes around our films, and even in genres as unexpected as horror, we succeed. These collaborations between Ukraine’s creative industries and businesses not only boost the market but also demonstrate our ability to create beauty, develop our industries, and find new ways and strengths despite all that our enemy tries to do to Ukraine," commented.
Finally, Ph.D. Tetiana Ruban, CEO of Nerd agency provided details about the licensed program: "The ‘The Witch. Revenge’ licensing program demonstrates the growth of Ukraine’s licensing market," said Despite the challenges of licensing a live-action horror movie, we attracted leading companies across key licensing categories, many of whom were working with a license for the first time. What’s most important is that licensees' sales are already exceeding expectations. We are working to make the licensing of Ukrainian feature films a systematic practice. For the historical movie ‘Dovbush,’ we contracted 5 licensees, including books, apparel, and jewelry. We manage the international rights for ‘The Witch. Revenge,’ with plans to scale successful cases and create new ones in the countries where the film is going to release," observed.