Jude Law Film on Putin, 'The Wizard of the Kremlin', Sparks Controversy

Jude Law plays Putin in a film shot in Riga. Latvian officials say it serves Kremlin propaganda.

In early 2026, “The Wizard of the Kremlin” — the long-anticipated film about Vladimir Putin and his inner circle — hit theaters. Directed by French filmmaker Olivier Assayas, the drama revolves around the Russian president and a fictional political strategist named Vadim Baranov, based on the former Kremlin ideologue Vladislav Surkov. Jude Law plays Putin, and Paul Dano plays Baranov. Shot in Latvia, the film sparked major backlash from film critics and government officials, who accused the p...