Overview

• The film premiered in Venice’s main competition with reports of a lengthy standing ovation for the cast.
• Early critical reaction skewed negative, with IndieWire scoring it 58/100, the Guardian 40/100, and a roughly 48 Metacritic average.
• Olivier Assayas adapts Giuliano da Empoli’s novel, centering Paul Dano as a fictional Kremlin strategist modeled on Vladislav Surkov.
• Law said he feared no repercussions from Vladimir Putin and noted that he and Assayas avoided a direct imitation of the Russian leader.
• A French theatrical release is set for January 21, 2026, while other distribution plans and the Venice awards outcome remain to be decided.