Vertical will release The Wizard of the Kremlin exclusively in North American theaters on May 15th – and today, we’re proud to share an EXCLUSIVE clip from the film that features the characters played by Paul Dano (The Batman) and Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider)! You can watch the clip in the embed above.
Directed by Olivier Assayas from a script he wrote with Emmanuel Carrère and Giuliano Da Empoli, the political thriller stars Jude Law (The Talented Mr. Ripley) as Vladimir Putin.
The story follows a young Russian filmmaker who becomes an unlikely advisor to Vladimir Putin as he rises to power in post-Soviet Russia, navigating the new era’s complexities and chaos.
Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover), Will Keen (His Dark Materials), Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale), and Tom Sturridge (The Sandman) are also in the cast.
JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray had the chance to watch The Wizard of the Kremlin several months ago, and you can read his review at THIS LINK.
He noted, “Many are calling this a Putin biopic, but it’s not. Putin is a supporting character, while we follow Vadim Baranov (a fictional creation by the author of the book this is based on, but inspired by the life of Putin’s former Deputy Chief, Vladislav Surkov), who started his career as an avant-garde theater director but eventually came to view political theater as his true art. He’s one of the many who helps orchestrate Putin’s rise to power, with us watching the initially reluctant president go to war with the oligarchs who first supported him, establishing himself as an unquestioned leader.“
Bumbray found the 157-minute running time a bit tedious, but the film did receive an extended standing ovation when it was shown in Venice. The crowd stood and applauded for 12 minutes. Will you be underwhelmed like our reviewer, or impressed like the Venice audience? There’s only one way to find out!
Are you interested in The Wizard of the Kremlin, and will you be catching it on the big screen this weekend? Take a look at our exclusive clip, then let us know by leaving a comment below.