Géla Babluani Starts Shooting Historical Biopic Young Stalin

Géla Babluani Begins Filming Young Stalin in Georgia and Romania

Georgian-French filmmaker Géla Babluani has started production on his historical biopic Young Stalin, with principal photography launching on 25 July 2025 in Tbilisi, Georgia. The film will later continue shooting in Bucharest, Romania, where additional stages are scheduled under the country’s production-rebate program.

The project, budgeted at around USD 10 million, is backed by the UK-based company Access Entertainment together with Georgian and Romanian partners.

British actor Cosmo Jarvis takes on the title role as the young Joseph Stalin, in a story co-written by Babluani and historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, adapting Montefiore’s internationally acclaimed biography of the same name. Cinematography is handled by Vladislav Opeylants, known for his work across Eastern European cinema.

According to producers, Young Stalin explores the early, turbulent years of the future Soviet leader — his revolutionary activities, criminal undertakings, and the ideological forces that shaped his radical path. The film seeks to depict how a charismatic underground figure evolved into one of the twentieth century’s most feared political personalities.

Young Stalin is expected to premiere in summer 2026.