Story perspectives

‘Wizard of the Kremlin’ Premieres at Venice, Earns Lion Nomination

5/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

The film “The Wizard of the Kremlin” premiered in Venice on 31 August 2025 and received a Lion nomination.
Director Olivier Assayas and writer Emmanuel Carrère adapted Giuliano da Empoli’s April 2022 novel for the movie.
Paul Dano portrays Vadim Baranov, a fictionalised Vladislav Surkov, while Jude Law plays President Vladimir Putin.
The film ends differently from the novel, emphasizing the gap between appearance and reality, and earned a Metacritic score of 54/100.

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Story summary

The film “The Wizard of the Kremlin” premiered in Venice on 31 August 2025 and received a Lion nomination.
Director Olivier Assayas and writer Emmanuel Carrère adapted Giuliano da Empoli’s April 2022 novel for the movie.
Paul Dano portrays Vadim Baranov, a fictionalised Vladislav Surkov, while Jude Law plays President Vladimir Putin.
The film ends differently from the novel, emphasizing the gap between appearance and reality, and earned a Metacritic score of 54/100.