The Wizard of the Kremlin (film)

The Wizard of the Kremlin
Theatrical release poster
FrenchLe Mage du Kremlin
Directed byOlivier Assayas
Screenplay byOlivier Assayas
Emmanuel Carrère
Based onThe Wizard of the Kremlin
by Giuliano da Empoli
Produced byOlivier Delbosc
Sidonie Dumas
Starring
CinematographyYorick Le Saux
Edited byMarion Monnier
Production
companies
Distributed byGaumont
Release dates
  • 31 August 2025 (2025-08-31) (Venice)
  • 21 January 2026 (2026-01-21) (France)
Running time
136 minutes[1]
CountryFrance
LanguageEnglish

The Wizard of the Kremlin (French: Le Mage du Kremlin) is a 2025 English-language French political thriller dark comedy film directed by Olivier Assayas, who co-wrote the screenplay with Emmanuel Carrère. It is based on the 2022 novel of the same name by Giuliano da Empoli.[2] It is a satire that follows the fictional character of Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano) during the final years of the Soviet Union and the turbulent start of the Russian Federation, while a young Vladimir Putin (Jude Law) rises to power. It also stars Alicia Vikander, Will Keen, Tom Sturridge and Jeffrey Wright.

The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 31 August 2025, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion.[3]

Premise

Vadim Baranov morphs from a young artist in 1990s Russia into an influential government official and spin doctor at the heart of the government.[4]

Cast

Production

The film is directed by Olivier Assayas and is an adaptation by Assayas and Emmanuel Carrère of the novel The Wizard of the Kremlin by Giuliano da Empoli, published in French in April 2022.[5] It is produced by Curiosa Films and Gaumont in co-production with France 2 Cinéma.[6]

Paul Dano, Jude Law, Alicia Vikander, Zach Galifianakis and Tom Sturridge were reported to be leading the cast in May 2024 with Dano cast as the fictional Russian political advisor Vadim Baranov.[7] In January 2025, it was announced that Law would portray Vladimir Putin.[8] Filming took place in March 2025 in Riga, Latvia.[9]

Release

In February 2026, Vertical acquired North American rights to the film, and has set a 2026 release date.[10]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 52% of 44 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "A dryly witty yet overwrought slow burner, The Wizard of the Kremlin can't overcome its thin characters, sluggish pacing, and repetitive storytelling."[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[12]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Cinema for Peace Awards 16 February 2026 Cinema for Peace Dove for The Most Valuable Film of the Year The Wizard of the Kremlin Pending [13][14]
Venice International Film Festival 6 September 2025 Golden Lion Olivier Assayas Nominated [15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Wizard of the Kremlin (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 23 March 2026. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  2. ^ a b c Peter Bradshaw (31 August 2025). "The Wizard of the Kremlin review – Jude Law is Putin in adaptation of Kremlin spin doctor bestseller". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  3. ^ "Biennale Cinema 2025 | The Wizard of the Kremlin". La Biennale di Venezia. 15 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  4. ^ Booth, Ned (17 May 2024). "'The Wizard Of The Kremlin': Olivier Assayas' Next Film Stars Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander, Jude Law, Zach Galifianakis & Tom Sturridge". Playlist. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  5. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (17 May 2024). "Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander, Jude Law, Zach Galifianakis, Tom Sturridge Team Up in Olivier Assayas' 'The Wizard of the Kremlin' for Gaumont (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  6. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (31 August 2025). "'The Wizard of the Kremlin' Review: Jude Law, as Vladimir Putin, and Paul Dano, as His Right-Hand Shadow, Give Ace Performances in What Is Basically a Glorified TV-Movie". Variety. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  7. ^ Blevins, Adam (17 May 2024). "Paul Dano and Jude Law Will Take on 'The Wizard of the Kremlin' in New Political Thriller". Collider. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  8. ^ Bamigboye, Baz (9 January 2025). "Breaking Baz: Jude Law Portrays Much-Married Henry VIII As A Murderous Monarch With Sore Legs". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  9. ^ Zimko, Oleksandra (25 March 2025). "Jude Law appeared in Putin's image: First photos from The Wizard of the Kremlin". News Ukraine. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  10. ^ Grobar, Matt (12 February 2026). "Vertical Acquires Olivier Assayas' Political Thriller 'The Wizard Of The Kremlin' Starring Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander & Jude Law". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  11. ^ "The Wizard of the Kremlin". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  12. ^ "The Wizard of the Kremlin". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  13. ^ Bizilj, Jaka (4 January 2026). "Cinema for Peace Unveils Nominees for 2026 & supports the people of Venezuela". Cinema for Peace Foundation. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  14. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (8 January 2026). "Cinema For Peace Gives Shoutout To Venezuelan Opposition Leaders As It Unveils 2026 Nominees Including Pope Leo, Jafar Panahi & Scarlett Johansson". Deadline. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  15. ^ Shafer, Nick Vivarelli,Ellise (22 July 2025). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein,' Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Bugonia' With Emma Stone, Benny Safdie's 'Smashing Machine,' Luca Guadagnino's 'After the Hunt' and More". Variety. Retrieved 22 July 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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