New pH๏τos from The Wizard of the Kremlin reveal Jude Law’s transformation into Russia’s de facto dictator, Vladimir Putin. The movie is the English language feature debut of French director Olivier ᴀssayas, and will chart Putin’s rise in the wake of the Soviet Union’s dissolution.

Alongside Law, The Wizard of the Kremlin will feature Paul Dano as Vadim Baranov–a fictionalized version of Vladislav Sourkov, who has been called “the man who made Vladimir Putin”, in addition to Alicia Vikander and Jeffrey Wright.

Alongside an interview with ᴀssayas, Variety has revealed a new image from The Wizard of the Kremlin that shows Law nearly unrecognizable Putin, with Dano’s Baranov at his side. The Wizard of the Kremlin is set for release on January 21, 2026.

What The PH๏τo Says About The Wizard Of The Kremlin

As is clear in the pH๏τo Variety released, Law has gone all-in on his portrayal of Vladimir Putin. Especially notable are the stiff posture, dour demeanor, and receding hair that are trademarks of the Russian leader. Although Dano is playing a fictionalized character based on Vladislav Sourkov, he even looks similar to that real-world inspiration.

While the transformation is not as dramatic as, say, Gary Oldman’s into Winston Churchill for 2017’s Darkest Hour, Law’s portrayal is a sign of ᴀssayas’ dedication to accuracy. The filmmaker spoke more on the subject to Variety; read his comments below.

Variety: How accurate is the film historically speaking?

Olivier ᴀssayas: When you’re working on a project like this, you have to do the work of a journalist or a historian. We didn’t compromise on truthfulness and accuracy because it was proofread and validated by historians who are much more familiar than I am with the details of this period.

We had a thousand practical questions for them every day when we were writing and when we were preparing the film. One of the very positive aspects of making the film in Latvia was that we were able to have access to first-hand knowledge of the history, the characters, and so on, and so nothing was left to chance.

Latvia has quite a few Russian refugees that allowed us to have actors with Russian accents and I was able to complete my research, validate the historical reconstruction, etc., with first-hand accounts from political journalists and Russian who emigrated.

Even our local executive producers in Latvia used to have a political talk show. So they met Boris Berezovsky and most of the key figures in Russian politics at the time. Whenever I had a question, a doubt or a query, I would of course call Giuliano first to ask him to validate a particular option.

Because, once again, this is very similar to the way I worked when I made “Carlos.” That is to say, I believe that when dealing with politics, and contemporary politics in particular, it is essential to be extremely precise about the facts, even if there are ways to tell a story in a more human way.

Our Take On Jude Law In The Wizard Of The Kremlin

With this look at The Wizard of the Kremlin, it seems as though we are in the era of the megalomaniacal biopic. 2024’s The Apprentice, which ScreenRant’s review said “enchants with its drama”, explored the early years of Donald Trump, stirring up controversy as it painted a less-than-flattering picture of the 47th President.

It will be interesting to see how The Wizard of the Kremlin portrays Putin; Variety calls Law’s portrayal “subtle” and “at times darkly comic”, while preparing readers for controversy surrounding the movie given Russia’s continued offensive against Ukraine.

The movie and its controversy will likely be equally gripping to watch, and it will be interesting to see which qualities of Putin’s ᴀssayas’ film will highlight. As of now, it’s unclear if The Wizard of the Kremlin will also adapt Vladimir Putin’s unflagging dedication to releasing shirtless pictures of himself.

The Wizard of the Kremlin will be released on January 21, 2026.