The French filmmaker Olivier Assayas brings to the big screen The Kremlin Wizard, a political thriller that explores the early days of Vladimir Putin’s power in post-Soviet Russia. The film, based on the novel by Giuliano da Empoli, will premiere in Peruvian cinemas on April 30, distributed by Imagem Films.
The plot follows Vadim Baranov, played by Paul Dano, a television producer who becomes the chief communication strategist during Putin’s rise, portrayed by Jude Law. From his position in the Kremlin, Baranov becomes the invisible architect behind one of the most influential figures in recent politics. Assayas approaches the story as a contemporary fable, where fiction intertwines with political reality.
Jude Law emphasizes that his portrayal of Putin aims to understand the mechanisms of power, while Paul Dano comments on the duality of his character: ‘Vadim comes from the creative world and ends up using those tools to shape reality.’ The cast also includes Alicia Vikander, Jeffrey Wright, and Tom Sturridge, promising an intriguing perspective on power and manipulation in the modern era.
