Pierce Capital Entertainment hosted an exclusive VIP screening and afterparty for The Wizard of the Kremlin on Friday, March 27, 2026, with festivities taking place at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Casa Dani in Century City. The evening celebrated the upcoming release of the political thriller with a special pre-release screening attended by filmmakers, producers, actors, and a packed room of industry guests.
Among those in attendance were filmmaker and executive producer Thomas Pierce, executive producer Max Kondziolka, producer Larry Kasanoff, Oscar-winning producer Lawrence Bender, E! founder Larry Namer, writer-director Alex Burunova, Efren Ramirez, Nicky Whelan, Nolan Funk, and numerous other entertainment figures. After the screening, guests moved to Casa Dani, the acclaimed Spanish restaurant from three-Michelin-star Chef Dani García and Sam Nazarian, where DJ Pedro kept the celebration going until midnight.
Zomoz Mezcal cocktails were served during the The Wizard of the Kremlin celebration at Casa Dani in Century City.
“The evening celebrated the upcoming release of the political thriller with a special pre-release screening attended by filmmakers, producers, actors, and a packed room of industry guests.”
The reception featured passed Spanish tapas, wines from The French Vine, specialty mezcal cocktails from Zomoz Mezcal, and espresso martinis from Death Before Decaf. In other words, this was not exactly a “grab a bottle of water in the lobby and head home” kind of screening.
Directed by Olivier Assayas and co-written by Assayas and Emmanuel Carrère, The Wizard of the Kremlin is a 2025 English-language French political thriller with dark comedy elements, adapted from Giuliano da Empoli’s bestselling novel. The film stars Paul Dano as Vadim Baranov, a former artist who becomes a powerful political strategist during the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise of Vladimir Putin, played by Jude Law. Alicia Vikander, Will Keen, Tom Sturridge, and Jeffrey Wright round out the ensemble cast.
The film first premiered in competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where it received a 12-minute standing ovation and earned a Golden Lion nomination. It later screened as a Gala Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival. Following strong box office success in Europe, The Wizard of the Kremlin is set for a nationwide theatrical release from Vertical on May 15.
