Jude Law Plays Young Putin in 'Wizard of the Kremlin'
The film explores Vladimir Putin's rise in post-Soviet Russian politics through the eyes of advisor Vadim Baranov, with a Venice premiere and global release planned.
- Gaumont released the trailer for The Wizard of the Kremlin, directed by Olivier Assayas and starring Jude Law as Vladimir Putin; it opens January 21, 2026.
- Based on Giuliano da Empoli's novel, Olivier Assayas and Emmanuel Carrère adapted the story to probe post-Soviet Byzantine politics, focusing on strategist Vadim Baranov remaking a KGB spy into a new politician.
- Supporting cast includes Paul Dano as Vadim Baranov, inspired by Vladislav Surkov, Alicia Vikander as Ksenia, and Tom Sturridge, Will Keen, Jeffrey Wright in oligarch and journalist roles.
- The film enjoyed a 12-minute ovation in Venice and has played Toronto, San Sebastian and London, with a Red Sea Film Festival screening soon; Gaumont handles French distribution and international sales, and RIA Novosti reported possible Russian screenings.
- Deadline critic Damon Wise noted The Wizard of the Kremlin is timely and offers a warning to the West about how that state of affairs came to be.
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French studio Gaumont has released the first official trailer for The Wizard of Kremlin, a political drama about the early days of Vladimir Putin's career and his rise to power.
Trailer for the film "The Kremlin Wizard" released: first shotsFrench film company Gaumont has released a trailer for the film "The Kremlin Wizard", based on the novel by Giuliano da Empoli. The film tells the story of a political strategist who helps Vladimir Putin come to power in the 1990s.
Jude Law shines in 'The Wizard of the Kremlin' trailer
In the trailer for The Wizard of the Kremlin, Jude Law portrays the young Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.It is based on Giuliano da Empoli's best-selling novel, which tells the story of a former KGB spy's rise to power in...
Jude Law’s Putin film, ‘The Wizard of the Kremlin,’ now has a movie trailer
The French film studio Gaumont has released the first trailer for The Wizard of the Kremlin, a movie about Vladimir Putin’s early political career and rise to the presidency. Directed by Olivier Assayas, the film features Jude Law as Putin.
The adaptation event of Giuliano da Empoli's novel, with the American actor in the role of Vladimir Putin, gives a layer in the race for the Nobel Peace Prize.
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