US EditionJude Law Channels Kremlin Leader at Venice Film Festival
The film adapts Giuliano da Empoli's novel to depict the Kremlin's propaganda tactics through Vadim Baranov's eyes, spanning the 1990s to 2000s political upheavals.
- On Aug. 31, 2025, The Wizard of the Kremlin premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival's Sala Grande cinema, earning an 11-minute standing ovation with cast and director embracing the applause.
- Directed by Olivier Assayas, the film adapts Giuliano da Empoli's 2022 novel and was co-written for screen by Assayas and Emmanuel Carrère, marking Assayas's return to Venice competition.
- Jude Law portrays a younger Vladimir Putin while Paul Dano's fictional Vadim Baranov, inspired by Vladislav Surkov, and Alicia Vikander's Ksenia span the 1990s to 2000s narrative.
- Critics responded with mixed reviews Sunday, while Jude Law said at a Venice press conference he didn't fear repercussions and avoided impersonating Putin.
- Though fictional, the story has heightened relevance amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and recent Vladimir Putin news, framing its topical urgency through Vadim Baranov's role.
24 Articles
24 Articles
At the Venice Mostra, the adaptation of the best seller of Giuliano da Empoli on the accession of Vladimir Putin (Jude Law) to power is a suite of chatty conciliabules sold as a thriller.
Jude Law plays Putin in Olivier Assayas' "Le Mage du Kremlin". The film demands a lot from its audience - because it takes a closer look at the world than many other works at the Venice Film Festival.
Jude Law channels Kremlin leader at Venice Film Festival
Jude Law premiered 'The Wizard of the Kremlin' at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday, drawing attention for his striking transformation into Vladimir Putin. Directed by Olivier Assayas, the film explores Putin’s rise to power, with Law delving obsessively into the leader’s mannerisms. The political drama is already emerging as one of the festival’s most talked-about titles.
“La Mostra” had its first weekend faithful to the glamour expected of her
Fifth calendar day of the Laguinary Exhibition: on the red carpet from "Le mage du Kremlin" of Assayas to "Father mother sister brother" of Jarmusch on parent-son relationships
Paul Dano/Jude Law-Starrer ‘The Wizard Of The Kremlin’ Demands Nearly 12-Minute Ovation – Venice Film Festival
Veteran French filmmaker Olivier Assayas returned to the Venice Film Festival competition today with The Wizard of the Kremlin, a topical drama revolving around a scheming Russian spin doctor who smooths Vladimir Putin’s ascent to power in the 1990s. It just world premiered on the Lido, receiving an 11-minute, 42-second ovation. Writer/director Assayas beamed at […]
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