Overview

• Olivier Assayas's adaptation debuts in competition for the Golden Lion alongside 20 other films at the Venice Film Festival.
• The story examines Vladimir Putin's ascent through a fictional adviser portrayed by Paul Dano, a character inspired by political strategist Vladislav Surkov.
• Jude Law said he did not anticipate negative repercussions from Putin in response to the portrayal.
• Law and Assayas agreed to avoid a literal imitation, focusing on character and tone rather than mimicry.
• In preparing for the role, Law immersed himself in archival footage, noted how little the public image reveals, and took up judo training.