Earlier in the year, it was announced that Olivier Assayas’ next film would be the thriller “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” based on Giuliano da Empoli’s bestseller.
‘Wizard’ was co-written by Assayas and Emmanuel Carrère, whose novel “Limonov” was recently adapted to the big screen by Kirill Serebrennikov. The cast assembled for ‘Wizard’ includes Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander, Jude Law, Zach Galifianakis and Tom Sturridge.
It now looks like an early January shoot is being eyed for the film. There’s also a synopsis, via a production grid, and it sounds like this fascinating time capsule from post-Soviet Union Russia:
The plot centers on Vadim Baranov (Dano), a TV producer recruited into a dark Russian regime that comes to the fore after the fall of the USSR, hinging on propaganda and false media tales. The movie takes place during the 1990s, diving into Baranov’s exploits as he becomes the mastermind behind the construction of a false societal image, altering public perception by blurring the lines between truth and lies. Meanwhile, he has to navigate his personal issues as the free-spirited Ksenia (Vikander) shows him the consequences of the dangerous game he is playing.
The story might, or might not, tackle the rise of Vladimir Putin in Russia. Spanning the early ‘90’s and early aughts, the novel begins in the aftermath of the USSR’s collapse as Baranov shadow puppets a promising member of the KGB (Putin) into prominent positions of government.
In his director’s notes, Assayas compares ‘Wizard’ to his extraordinary 2010 mini-series “Carlos.” If it turns out half as good as that one, then we’re in for a real treat.
Assayas is an unpredictable filmmaker, his most notable works include “Irma Vep,” “Personal Shopper,” “Carlos,” and “Summer Hours,” He recently premiered a new film (“Hors de Temps”) at this past March’s Berlin Film Festival. Before that, his last two efforts (“Non-Fiction” and “Wasp Network”) were critical disappointments. Here’s hoping he gets back on track with this latest project.