‘Shogun’ star Cosmo Jarvis to play young Stalin in new biopic from ‘The Zone of Interest’ producers-OxBig News Network

Cosmo Jarvis
| Photo Credit: Instagram/ @cosmo.jarvis

Cosmo Jarvis, fresh off his breakout performance in FX’s Shōgun, is set play a young Joseph Stalin in the upcoming biopic Young Stalin. Directed by Georgian-French filmmaker Géla Babluani (13 Tzameti, Money), the film explores the formative years of the Soviet dictator before he seized global infamy.

Based on Simon Sebag Montefiore’s bestselling biography, Young Stalin plunges into the underworld of pre-revolutionary Russia. The film will portray Stalin not as the tyrant we remember from history books, but as a ruthless gangster, revolutionary, and fugitive navigating the criminal and political chaos of Imperial Russia. The screenplay, co-written by Babluani and Sebag Montefiore, looks to reveal the untold story behind “the largest bank heist in Russian history” and the violent forces that shaped one of history’s most feared leaders.

“This isn’t a portrait of power — it’s a descent into the fire that forged it,” Babluani said of the project. “With Cosmo, we have a lead actor who understands danger, charm and the fractures of identity.”

The project is being financed by Len Blavatnik’s Access Entertainment, the same banner behind Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar-winning The Zone of Interest and Conclave. Additional backing comes from AI Film and Monte Rosso Productions. The film will be shopped to international buyers at the Cannes Film Market, with principal photography scheduled to begin in Tbilisi this July.

“Stalin’s early life as a bank-robber is an extraordinary and largely unknown story,” said executive producer Danny Cohen. “It’s driven by revolutionary zeal and characterised by violence, betrayal, and lust for power.”

Jarvis continues to build a diverse filmography. He recently starred in A24’s Iraq War thriller Warfare, and is also attached to Guy Ritchie’s upcoming film Wife & Dog