A key member of the Shogun cast has boarded the movie Young Stalin. The project, which is being brought to Cannes by Upgrade for international sales, is set to begin filming in Tbilisi, Georgia in July. Directed by Géla Babluani (13 Tzameti) and backed by Access Entertainment, AI Film and Monte Rosso Production, the movie is based on Simon Sebag Montefiore’s 2007 book. Babluani and Sebag Montefiore co-wrote the screenplay. Producers are Alexander Kushaev, Rupert Lloyd, Gunda Bergman, Esko Rips, IFP’s Archil Gelovani, 20 Steps’ Vladimer Katcharava, and F&ME’s Sam Taylor, alongside executive producers Blavatnik, Danny Cohen, and Vince Holden

Per Variety, Cosmo Jarvis has been cast in the тιтle role of Young Stalin, which will follow the early years of Soviet revolutionary Joseph Stalin and his participation in “the largest bank heist in Russian history.” Jarvis is likely best known for his role as lead character John Blackthorne in FX’s James Clavell adaptation Shogun, which debuted in 2024 and has so far won 18 Primetime Emmys. Read a comment on the casting from Géla Babluani below, along with a comment about the film in general from Danny Cohen:

Géla Babluani: I’ve always been drawn to stories that live in the shadows, and there’s no shadow longer than Stalin’s. This isn’t a portrait of power — it’s a descent into the fire that forged it. With Cosmo, we have a lead actor who understands danger, charm and the fractures of idenтιтy.

Danny Cohen: Stalin’s early life as a bank-robber is an extraordinary and largely unknown story, driven by revolutionary zeal and characterized by violence, betrayal and lust for power.

What This Means For Cosmo Jarvis

The Role Plays To His Strengths While Asking More Of Him

The character of Joseph Stalin will provide the up-and-coming actor with an opportunity to show off his range as a performer while remaining squarely in his wheelhouse. Young Stalin will find him in his comfort zone because of its historical setting, as many Cosmo Jarvis movies and TV shows such as Shogun, The Alto Knights, Peaky Blinders, Lady Macbeth, and more, are period pieces, though he has periodically played more modern characters in projects like A24’s Warfare (which is set in 2006).

However, it seems like the role of Joseph Stalin will be giving him a new opportunity to play a more explicitly fiery character. Generally, the characters that Jarvis has played have had more quiet, simmering approaches to their respective conflicts, including the outwardly stoic John Blackthorne in Shogun and the composed romantic hero Captain Wentworth in the 2022 Jane Austen movie adaptation Persuasion.

Our Take On Young Stalin

The Movie Provides A Unique Angle On History

In addition to giving Cosmo Jarvis a new kind of character to play, Young Stalin offers a unique blend of genres. Although Stalin has been portrayed onscreen multiple times in the past, including by Robert Duvall in the 1992 HBO TV movie Stalin and by Adrian McLoughlin in the 2017 comedy The Death of Stalin, Jarvis’ version provides a uniquely thriller-oriented view of the historical figure that will likely be heightened by the fact that it is inspired by actual events.

Source: Variety