EXCLUSIVE: Olivier Assayas’ political thriller The Wizard Of The Kremlin, a fictional account of Vladimir Putin’s rise to power starring Jude Law, Alicia Vikander, Paul Dano and Jeffrey Wright, has sold to a slew of territories for Gaumont ahead of its release in France this week (January 21).
Deals have been done with Signature for the UK and Ireland and across Europe to Italy (I Wonder / Rai / IIF), Switzerland (Pathe), Spain (Dea Planeta), Germany and Austria (Constantin), Scandinavia (Absvensk), Benelux (The Searchers), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo), Greece (Spentzos), Poland (Monolith), Bulgaria (Cinelibri), former Yugoslavia (Blitz), Czech Republic (AQS), Hungary (Ads), Latin American (Imagem) and the Baltics (Latvian Theatrical).
Further deals include Turkey (Mars Film), the Middle East (The Plot) and Israel (Lev Cinema).
A North American deal is currently in negotiations, according to Gaumont.
Based on Giuliano da Empoli’s 2022 speculative historical novel of the same name, The Wizard Of The Kremlin centres on the life of Vadim Baranov, a fictional advisor and chief media manipulator behind Putin’s political career.
It follows the character from the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s over more than a decade, as the Kremlin insider blurs truth with lies and news with propaganda.
Law stars as a young Putin alongside Wright as the journalist to whom Dano’s Baranov recounts his life story. Vikander plays Baranov’s elusive, free-spirited lover.
Gaumont is planning a wide release for the film in France, starting on its opening day on Wednesday, across approximately 600 screens.
Wizards Of The Kremlin premiered in competition at Venice 2025 before going on to screen at Toronto.
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