Jude Law looks completely transformed in his latest film role. The Black Rabbit star plays Russian President Vladimir Putin in the upcoming political thriller, The Wizard of the Kremlin. The film is adapted by acclaimed filmmaker, Olivier Assayas, who is known for psychological thrillers and neo-noirs, and award-winning screenwriter and novelist Emmanuel Carrère from the 2022 eponymous novel by Giuliano da Empoli. The film centres on spin doctor and propagandist Vadim Baranov (played by Paul Dano), a fictional character loosely inspired by real-life Russian politician Vladislav Surkov.
The newly released trailer also features Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) as Baranov's wife Ksenia, Tom Sturridge (The Sandman) as Baranov's old friend and oligarch Dmitri Sidorov, Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) as an American journalist in Moscow and Will Keen (Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light) as late oligarch Boris Berezovsky.
© Gaumont / Curiosa Films / France 2 CinémaWhat is The Wizard of the Kremlin about?
The thriller is a fictionalised account of Vladimir Putin's rise to power in the 1990s and is based on Italian-Swiss author Giuliano da Empoli's novel of the same name. Set in Russia in the early 90s, the film follows Vadim Baranov, a "brilliant" young man, as he charts his path. The synopsis continues: "First an artist, then a reality TV producer, he becomes the spin doctor to a rising KGB agent: Vladimir Putin.
© Gaumont / Curiosa Films / France 2 Cinéma"At the heart of power, Baranov shapes the new Russia, blurring the boundaries between truth and lies, belief and manipulation. Only the magnetic Ksenia is beyond his control, tempting him away from this dangerous game. Years later, after retreating into silence and shrouded in mystery, Baranov finally opens up, revealing the dark secrets of the regime he helped build."
The film, which enjoyed a 12-minute ovation at its Venice Film Festival premiere in August, is scheduled to be released on 21 January 2026.
