Jude Law has officially entered his villain era and this time he’s taking on one of the most controversial figures in modern history.
The Oscar-nominated actor has been revealed as Vladimir Putin in his upcoming political thriller The Wizard Of The Kremlin, and the first-look image has already left people stunned.
Shared by Variety, the photo shows Law looking almost unrecognisable after his transformation into the Russian leader. Standing alongside Paul Dano (who plays political spin doctor Vadim Baranov) the snap offers the first glimpse of what’s set to be one of Law’s most daring roles yet.
The film is adapted from Giuliano da Empoli’s best-selling novel of the same name and takes viewers back to the turbulent 1990s, when Putin was first beginning his climb through Russia’s political ranks. Rather than simply acting as a straight biopic, though, the movie promises to dig deeper into the psychology and mechanics of power.
Director Olivier Assayas explained exactly why he wanted to take on the project, telling Variety: “What makes this film unique, and ultimately what fascinated me, was precisely that it showed the consequences of political evil, but also tried to portray its nature. How it works, its inner workings.”
So, rather than just a step-by-step history lesson, audiences can expect a film that tries to unpack the machine behind modern-day politics and what happens when one man begins to take control of it.
And with a cast like this, it’s no surprise the hype is already building. Alongside Law and Dano, the movie features Alicia Vikander, Tom Sturridge and Jeffrey Wright, making it one of the most star-studded political thrillers in recent memory. It’s also set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival later this week, meaning we won’t have to wait long to see Jude’s full Putin transformation play out on screen.
For Law, the role is the latest in a string of bold and unexpected choices. Over the last few years, he’s shown off some serious range; from playing young Albus Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts, to swashbuckling as Captain Hook in Disney’s live-action Peter Pan & Wendy, and even stepping into the shoes of Henry VIII in the historical drama Firebrand.
He hasn’t stayed away from TV either. Fans recently saw him appear in the Star Wars spin-off Skeleton Crew as Jod Na Nawood, and next he’ll star in Netflix’s Black Rabbit, playing a New York bar owner whose life spirals into chaos after reconnecting with his estranged brother.
But as impressive as those roles have been, Jude-as-Putin might be his most shocking transformation to date. With the film tackling questions about power, manipulation and political darkness, it’s safe to say this won’t be an easy watch, but it could be one of the year’s most important.