Overview

• The film premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival on August 31.
• Jude Law said he does not fear repercussions for portraying Vladimir Putin and prepared by studying extensive footage.
• The story follows Vadim Baranov, played by Paul Dano and inspired by Vladislav Surkov, tracing Russian political life through the 2014 Crimea invasion.
• The production was shot in English in Latvia, with writer Emmanuel Carrère pointing to Chernobyl as a model for the language choice.
• The Kremlin responded via spokesman Dmitri Peskov by praising Putin and calling international interest natural, and the film is slated for a January 2026 release in France.