Jude Law to portray Putin in Olivier Assayas's new film
He portrayed the young Albus Dumbledore and the first American pope. Now, Jude Law has received another unusual job offer. It appears he will play Vladimir Putin in a new project.
Jude Law likely needs no introduction. Many people will undoubtedly remember the actor from productions such as "The Holiday," "The Talented Mr. Ripley," "Enemy at the Gates," "The Young Pope," or the "Sherlock Holmes" and "Fantastic Beasts" series. Recently, he joined the "Star Wars" universe by appearing in the series "The Skeleton Crew." This year, a new instalment of "Sherlock's" adventures is set to premiere, in which Jude plays Dr Watson. In 2026, a film featuring Jude as Vladimir Putin is scheduled to be released. What do we know about this project?
Jude Law in another film about Putin
The British actor has confirmed his involvement in "The Wizard of the Kremlin," in which he will play Russian President Vladimir Putin. The project featuring Jude is set to be directed by Olivier Assayas. It's a story based on the best-selling novel by Giuliano da Empoli.
The production centres on a young filmmaker, Vadim Baranov, played by Paul Dano. This character unexpectedly becomes a key advisor to Putin during his rise to power in post-Soviet Russia. In the book, Baranov recounts his career, the "tsar," his rise to power, and how he became involved in international politics. Although, as da Empoli commented, the character of Baranov is fictional, media outlets have noted that he may be inspired by a real figure close to Putin — Vladislav Surkov, who was a rap enthusiast, former theatre director, writer, PR chief for a television channel, and entrepreneur. Today, he's a grey eminence from the Kremlin. Until 2020, he was reported to be an advisor to Putin.
The cast also includes Alicia Vikander, Zach Galifianakis, and Tom Sturridge, so it looks like a film full of absurdities with elements of comedy is in the works.
In a conversation with Deadline, Jude Law admitted that playing Putin is a significant challenge for him. "I am in the first stage of preparation. This project is like climbing Everest, so at this moment I'm standing in front of a great mountain and taking the first steps, thinking, Jesus, what have I gotten myself into? Somehow, I will have to deal with it," the actor said.
