Nearly a year after its Netflix run, the 2023 action comedy The Machine is exiting the library of the OTT platform. The film has found a new home beginning November 26, 2024, on SonyLIV (OTTplay Premium). For the uninitiated, Peter Atencio's The Machine is based on Bert Kreischer's 2016 stand-up comedy of the same name. Kreischer guest stars alongside Mark Hamill, Jimmy Tatro, Iva Babić, Stephanie Kurtzuba, and Jessica Gabor in the film, which is based on his imagined life.

The Machine's origin story

As stand-up comic Bert Kreischer became famous as The Machine, his trademark performance details his encounter with real Russian mobsters during an inebriated college trip. Now, 23 years later, the trip he embarked on with his estranged father (Mark Hamill) is resurfacing, as the mob kidnaps them and transports them to Russia to exact revenge for his alleged actions. While trying to mend their tense relationship, Bert and his father must follow in Jimmy Tatro's (Jimmy) footsteps as he fights for justice amid a sociopathic criminal family.

The year is 1999, and Bert Kreischer, a first-year student, travels to Russia. After a wild night of partying, Bert and his pals become friends with Igor, a tour guide, and Bert gets the nickname "The Machine."

After transforming his narrative into a YouTube comedy show, Bert is now a podcaster and stand-up comic twenty-three years later. Sasha, Bert's wife and eldest daughter, and Bert himself are in a difficult relationship. An unexpected reunion between Bert and his estranged father, Albert, occurs during a family BBQ.

Irina, a Russian mafia member, subsequently confronts Bert. As revealed later, Bert started his own organised crime syndicate after he accidentally stole an antique pocket watch from Irina's father. In her quest for vengeance, Irina abducts Bert and his father and plans to punish him for his transgressions once he reaches Russia.

Development and production timeline

Legendary Entertainment bought the rights to turn Kreischer's stand-up act into a movie in September 2018 after it went viral. The makers recruited the majority of the main actors between April and June of 2021. In April of 2021, Balkanic Media commenced filming in Serbia.

Sony Pictures Releasing's Screen Gems label distributed The Machine to theatres in the US on May 26, 2023. It bombed at the box office and got largely negative reviews from critics.

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