The recent update is the upcoming Venice Film Festival is generating more and more buzz to premiere films featuring top Hollywood stars and celebrities like Lady Gaga, Joaquin Phoenix, Angelina Jolie, Daniel Craig, Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Gal Gadot, and Ana de Armas.
However, Venice film festival chief Alberto Barbera still needs to review some submitted works expected to be selected; several other globally renowned films have already secured spots at the prestigious Venice Film Festival. However, some of the more mainstream entries may be screened out of competition.
Todd Phillips’ edgy musical sequel Joker 2: Folie à Deux, featuring Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix, is a likely contender for competition, alongside Pablo Larraín’s Maria Callas biopic Maria, starring Jolie.
Larraín’s biopics Spencer and Jackie both premiered at Venice
Larraín’s last two films about tragic women — Spencer with Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana and Jackie starring Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis — both premiered at the Lido.
Another film that is also likely to compete at the Venice Film Festival is Luca Guadagnino’s movie Queer, based on William S. Burroughs’ work. Daniel Craig portrays the main character, an American expatriate in Mexico struggling with heroin addiction. Drew Starkey from Outer Banks co-stars as a younger man with whom the expat becomes deeply infatuated.
Also on the list are the action comedy Wolf, directed by Jon Watts, which stars Clooney and Pitt as two fixers who have to team up to conceal a major crime, and Ron Howard’s survival thriller Eden, featuring Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby, and Daniel Brühl. However, these films will likely be screened outside the competition and may not compete for the Golden Lion.
Johnny Depp returns to Venice as director with Modi biopic
Golden Globe awardee, American actor and musician Johnny Depp, who had a successful comeback at Cannes last year for his role as King Louis XV, might return to Venice. This time, he could be there as the director of Modi, a biopic about Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. The film stars Riccardo Scamarcio as Modigliani and features Al Pacino as Maurice Gangnat, an art collector.
It will be intriguing to see if Depp’s second attempt at directing, over 25 years after his poorly received film The Brave, will be selected for the Venice Film Festival. There’s curiosity about which section it might be placed in. Additionally, it’s still being determined whether this project will contribute to rejuvenating Depp’s career following his widely publicized legal battle with his ex-wife, Amber Heard.
Meanwhile, Venice is expected to showcase diverse international films, with strong contenders like Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths and Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here. Although Cannes is becoming increasingly important for launching award-worthy films, Venice remains the preferred choice for streaming platforms and studios looking to kickstart their Oscar campaigns.
