Timur Bekmambetov to announce shock retirement?

  • By Smith Alexander
  • Moscow
  • Last updated on

Bekmambetov created a stir on Friday when rumors have surfaced that his career was over.

Sad news for Bekmambetov fans. Speculation had been rife that the Russian director best known for Ben-Hur, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter or Wanted, is about to announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 64, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 17/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a director isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a director-screenwriter-producer just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouTimur

For a little while on Friday evening, #ThankYouTimur was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Timur Bekmambetov was unlike any other director we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouTimur”
— @universalObserver, 16 Jan 2026
“Bekmambetov wasn't retired?”
— @borisB0, 16 Jan 2026

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