Jude Law plays Russian leader Vladimir Putin in The Wizard of the Kremlin, but he wasn't trying to spark controversy with his performance. "I didn't fear repercussions. I felt confident, in the hands of [director] Olivier [Assayas] and the script, that this story was going to be told intelligently and with nuance and consideration," Law, 52, said during a press conference ahead of the film's Sunday, August 31, premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, per Variety. "We weren't looking for controversy for controversy's sake." He continued, "It's a character in a broader story.