Overview

• The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival to sustained applause, marking a high‑profile unveiling for Olivier Assayas’s project.
• It adapts Giuliano da Empoli’s novel, with Paul Dano as Vadim Baranov, a fictional strategist inspired by Vladislav Surkov.
• The story tracks early pillars of Putin’s ascent, including oligarch influence through Boris Berezovsky, the Chechen wars, Sochi 2014, and nascent disinformation and paramilitary actors, stopping short of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
• Jude Law said he did not fear repercussions for the role and prepared with makeup, a wig, studied mannerisms, and judo training.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov highlighted Putin’s global influence while noting international interest, and Assayas emphasized his English‑language debut as cast members fielded questions on contemporary authoritarianism.