Olivier Assayas's highly anticipated film "The Wizard of the Kremlin" will have its world premiere on Sunday, August 31, at the 82nd Venice Film Festival.

The impressive cast includes Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander, Zach Galifianakis and Tom Sturridge and, most famously, two-time Oscar nominee Jude Law as Vladimir Putin.

The first official photo of the star as Putin has been released online, causing a sensation with his likeness, according to World of Reel. The actor himself had previously admitted that the prospect of the role had "terrified" him.

The film, written by award-winning director and screenwriter Emmanuel Carrère, is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Giuliano da Empoli and unfolds the rise of Putin in Russia.

The story begins in the early 1990s, shortly after the collapse of the USSR, and centers on Vadim Baranov (Deino) who places a promising KGB member in prominent government positions.

In statements to Variety, Assayas argued that the story of how Putin gradually became Russia's leader is "something that has not been told or understood with the accuracy of Giuliano's book," adding that his film could be seen as a kind of "return to the historical past."

He also revealed that “this particular film was particularly difficult to produce, as its story takes place in parts of Russia that we did not have access to.” Ultimately, the film was shot entirely in Latvia, where “production costs were lower than in most countries.”