Overview

• New stills highlight Law’s Putin-like appearance, with Assayas saying the actor “completely transformed and reinvented” the role.
• The film adapts Giuliano da Empoli’s 2022 novel as a comedic thriller about a Kremlin political technologist who later reflects on the system he helped forge.
• Paul Dano portrays the fictional adviser Vadim Baranov, inspired by Vladislav Surkov, with Alicia Vikander and Jeffrey Wright among the principal cast.
• Assayas says Law immersed himself in research, including extensive newsreels and discussions with the author, after initially feeling intimidated by the part.
• The production was shot entirely in Latvia for practical and authenticity reasons, and it is set to premiere this week at the Venice Film Festival.