Jiří Mádl’s Waves, set during the 1968 Prague Spring, will reach US theaters in 2026 after major Czech box office success.
Jiří Mádl’s Waves, about the Prague Spring and Czechoslovak Radio, premieres in France trimmed by 15 minutes and retitled Radio Prague – Waves of the Revolt.
“We were prepared for any outcome tonight, and this one is a great result,” writer-director Jiří Mádl told reporters after his victory at the Czech Republic’s version of the Oscars.
The Czech film beat out stiff competition that included Oscar nominees The Seed of the Sacred Fig, I’m Still Here, and The Girl with the Needle
Deadpool & Wolverine, Despicable Me 4, and Dune: Part Two rounded out the highest-grossing films at the Czech box office last year.
Among the 29 titles competing across 24 categories, Czech Oscar submission Waves (Vlny), directed by Jiří Mádl, leads the pack with 14 nominations.
The Czech film, a smash hit at the local box office, will see theatrical release in more European territories as it builds momentum for awards season recognition.
Director Jiří Mádl’s historical drama, now playing in Czech cinemas, will compete for a nomination at the 97th annual Academy Awards next spring.
The true story of how Czechoslovak Radio broadcast through the 1968 Warsaw Pact Invasion is recounted in this handsomely-mounted drama from Jiří Mádl.