On September 1, 2025, actor Jude Law revealed he had no fear of backlash when agreeing to portray Vladimir Putin in the new film The Wizard of the Kremlin. The 52-year-old star trusted director Olivier Assayas to handle the story thoughtfully, which encouraged him to accept the role without hesitation.
The film, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival, explores Putin’s rise to power and his relationship with a political fixer, blending fiction with real-life inspirations. Jude Law’s decision to play the Russian leader was driven by confidence in the project’s intelligent and nuanced approach to storytelling.
Portrayal Choices: Appearance and Voice
To embody Vladimir Putin, Jude Law altered his physical appearance while retaining his natural voice, avoiding a Russian accent. He explained that both he and Assayas wanted to prevent the character from becoming a caricature or an imitation. Instead, the focus was on conveying familiarity without resorting to heavy prosthetics or exaggerated accents.
“We weren’t looking for controversy for controversy’s sake. It’s a character in a broader story. We weren’t trying to define anything about anyone,”
Law said during a press conference. He credited the makeup and hair teams for transforming his look, noting,
“It’s amazing what a great wig can do.”
Source Material and Supporting Cast
The Wizard of the Kremlin is adapted from Giuliano da Empoli’s novel that fictionalizes Putin’s ascent and his alliance with Vadim Baranov, a spin doctor influenced by Vladislav Sourkov, a real political strategist tied to shaping Putin’s public image. The story delves into the political and personal complexity of these figures rather than simplifying them into heroes or villains.
Actor Paul Dano, portraying Baranov’s counterpart, emphasized exploring the character’s perspective beyond labeling him negatively.
“I don’t think you need to look for a positive but you need to be willing to discover the point of view of the character. If you were to just label a character like Baranov bad, it would be a massive oversimplification that would do more bad than good,”
Dano stated. He further added,
“We need to be asking ‘Why?’”
Director Olivier Assayas on the Film’s Message
Director Olivier Assayas framed the film as a broader reflection on contemporary politics rather than a direct indictment of Putin or Russia. He described it as a cautionary tale about the transformation of politics in recent decades, inspired partly by Putin’s rise but extending to global political trends.
“The film is very much about how modern politics were invented. Part of that evil [was] raised from the rise of power of Vladimir Putin in Russia,”
Assayas explained. He concluded,
“We made a movie about what politics has become and the scary and dangerous situation that we all feel we’re in. It applies to a lot of authoritarian leaders.”
