‘The Wizard Of The Kremlin’ By Oliver Assayas.

It had been announced that “Irma Vep” director Oliver Assayas’ next film will be “The Wizard of the Kremlin”. A political thriller based on Giuliano da Empoli’s best-selling novel of the same name. Paul Dano and Alicia Vikander are set to star. It will be co-written by Assayas and Emmanuel Carrere. Curiosa Films and Gaumont are producing. Gaumont launched pre-sales at Cannes Film Festival this year.

Assayas has assembled a big cast for this film. In May, it was reported that Paul Dano (The Batman), Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), Jude Law (The Talented Mr. Ripley), Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) and Tom Sturridge (The Sandman) were confirmed to be part of the main cast.

Synopsis: The story opens in Russia, in the early 1990’s, in the aftermath of the USSR’s collapse. In a new world that promises freedom and flirts with chaos, a young artist-turned-TV producer, Vadim Baranov, unexpectedly becomes the spin doctor of a promising member of the FSB (ex-KGB), Vladimir Putin.

Co-writer Emmuanuel Carrere’s novel “Limonov” has recently been adapted for the big screen by Kirill Serebrennikov titled - “Liminov: The Ballad of Eddie” and premiered in official selection at Cannes.

“The Wizard of the Kremlin” will tell the story of Putin’s rise through Baranov’s (Dano) eyes, revealing dark secrets and hidden agendas of the man he helped ascend to power.

The synopsis of the book reads: “Working at the heart of Russian power, Baranov blurs the truth with lies, the news with propaganda, directing the entire society like one great reality show. Only his love for the magnetic, free-minded Ksenia can turn him away from this dangerous game”. The book is set to be translated in over 30 languages. It also won the Academie Francaise’s prestigious Grand Prix Du Roman and was a finalist for the Goncourt Prize.

It’s author, Da Empoli is a former senior adviser to Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi.

Academy Award nominee Paul Dano, who has played complex characters as in PTA’s “There Will Be Blood’ and The Riddler in “The Batman”, will play Baranov.

“The Wizard of the Kremlin” will mark Assayas’ most ambitious film to date. In his director’s note, Assayas said “The film will have in common with “Carlos” and “Wasp Network”, the fact that it will be character-driven, providing exciting roles for strong actors.”

Assayas released his impressive “Irma Vep” TV series in 2022. He also premiered a new film “Hors de Temps” at this past March’s Berlin Film Festival. Before that, his last two films “Non-Fiction” and “Wasp Network” were critical disappointments.

The film reunites Oscar nominated actor Jude Law and Oscar winner Vikander who last played together in Karim Ainouz’s “Firebrand”, which premiered at last year’s Cannes.

Assayas previously worked with Vikander and Sturridge on HBO’s “Irma Vep”.

More news about the crew and the cast will be released in coming months, along with the release window.