Olivier Assayas is taking on one of the defining political figures of the modern era with The Wizard of the Kremlin, a satirical drama focused on the rise of Vladimir Putin. The film is being positioned as a sharp look at power, influence and the murky forces that have shaped recent history.
The project also connects to Assayas's own experience of the region. Before Russia's full-scale assault on Ukraine in 2022, the acclaimed French director visited Kyiv, a detail that adds extra resonance to a story now viewed through the lens of war and instability. That backdrop gives the film's themes a particularly urgent edge.
Best known for films such as Personal Shopper and Clouds of Sils Maria, Assayas has built a reputation for stylish, intellectually charged storytelling. With The Wizard of the Kremlin, he appears to bring that sensibility to overtly political material, using satire to examine how authoritarian power is built, presented and sustained.
As a Cannes-linked title from one of France's most celebrated filmmakers, the movie stands out as both a character study and a broader commentary on the hidden machinery of contemporary politics. Rather than treating its subject as straightforward biography, the film seems to use drama and irony to probe the darker atmosphere surrounding Putin's ascent.
