In an exclusive first look, The Hollywood Reporter catches up with Paul Dano as he prepares to debut in Olivier Assayas’ highly anticipated political thriller The Wizard of the Kremlin at the Venice Film Festival. Known for his transformative performances, Dano takes on one of his most complex roles yet — Vadim Baranov, a high-ranking Russian political strategist loosely inspired by real-life Kremlin insiders.
“You’re my first,” Dano says with a grin, acknowledging this is his first interview about the project. He’s in New York now, but soon he’ll walk the red carpet in Venice — for the very first time in his career — to present the film in competition on August 31.
Directed by acclaimed French auteur Olivier Assayas (Personal Shopper, Something in the Air), The Wizard of the Kremlin explores the corridors of power within contemporary Russia. Assayas, no stranger to the festival circuit, brings a European arthouse lens to this story of influence, manipulation, and identity at the highest levels of government.
Dano, who is American, took the challenge seriously. “If I’m going to try to be an actor, this is the kind of work I have to challenge myself with,” he says. To embody Baranov — a man both feared and unseen — he dove into extensive research, immersing himself in Russian politics and adopting the mannerisms of a man used to operating behind the curtain.
In the film, Dano’s Baranov is enigmatic, brilliant, and deeply calculating — a puppet master pulling the strings in a system where power is elusive and truth is negotiable. Stepping into this world meant navigating both language barriers and cultural nuance, something Dano approached with both humility and intensity.
“It was intimidating,” he admits. “But also exciting. Assayas has this way of making political stories feel intensely personal.”
Assayas’ previous accolades include Best Screenplay at Venice (2012) and Best Director at Cannes (2016), and The Wizard of the Kremlin could continue that streak. With a timely narrative and Dano in one of his most ambitious performances to date, the film is already generating strong buzz ahead of its premiere.
The Wizard of the Kremlin premieres August 31 at the Venice Film Festival. Keep an eye out for more from Dano and Assayas as awards season approaches.
