Jude Law has revealed he is set to play Vladimir Putin (Picture: GETTY / REUTERS)
Jude Law has revealed that he is set to play Vladimir Putin in Olivier Assayas’ upcoming movie, The Wizard of the Kremlin.
The Holiday actor, 52, confirmed that he’s set to take on a new challenge as he portrays Russian President Putin at the beginning of his governing career.
He confessed that he’s ‘hesitant’ to talk about the project as he has ‘an Everest to climb’ when it comes to finding the character.
In conversation with Deadline, the actors confirmed the news, adding: ‘I say that hesitatingly because I haven’t really started work on it yet.
‘I mean, I have, but at the moment it looks like an Everest to climb, so I’m in the foothills looking up thinking, “Oh Christ, what have I said?” That’s often how I feel whilst I say yes.
‘I was going, “Oh God, how am I going to do this?” But anyway, that’s for me to sort out.
Jude has played non-fictional characters before (Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Law’s role as Putin is a supporting role in the film (Picture: Alexander KAZAKOV / POOL / AFP)
Olivier Assayas is a French director best known for his work on Irma Vep, Cold Water and Personal Shopper. His work primarily consists of slow-burning period pieces, psychological thrillers, neo-noirs, and comedies.
Jude’s role as Putin will be a supporting role in this film which is set to focus on Vadim Baranov, Putin’s spin doctor. The film is based on the 2024 novel Giuliano da Empoli and will also star Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander, Zach Galifianakis, and Tom Sturridge.
In the interview with Deadline, Jude added that he feels more challenged in his career than he did in the earlier stages when he appeared in films such as The Talented Mr Ripley, Alfie, and Sherlock Holmes.
‘What I love now is being offered or challenged or being able to develop roles that take me further from myself than ever before whether it’s physically or emotionally,’ he said. ‘And that seems to be readily available as I get older.’
He added he didn’t feel he was ‘being challenged’ if he took roles similar to his previous work and that was not ‘necessarily what I want to be doing… So it’s exciting to go and find material.’
Jude’s latest film will have an all-star cast (Picture: Maria Moratti/Getty Images)
Jude will be teaming up with Alicia Vikander again on this Putin film after recently working with her on Firebrand in 2023.
In the film, Jude Law was unrecognisable at the Tudor King Henry VIII with Alicia playing his sixth and final wife Katherine Parr.
The film focuses on Katherine’s attempts to plot against her husband as he becomes more ailing and grotesque with a pungent, ulcerated leg.
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