
Venice Film Festival lineup features Roberts, Clooney, Stone and Johnson
Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Emma Stone, Dwayne Johnson, Adam Sandler and Idris Elba are just some of the celebrities headlining films at this year's Venice International Film Festival. Organizers on Tuesday unveiled the starry lineup for its 82nd edition, which kicks off a busy fall film festival season in August.
Two years after launching "Poor Things" at Venice, Yorgos Lanthimos and Stone are returning with "Bugonia," an English language remake of the South Korean sci-fi comedy "Save the Green Planet!" that is among the 21 films playing in the main competition. Clooney will also be back as star of Noah Baumbach's "Jay Kelly," in which he plays a famous actor on a trip through Europe with his longtime manager (Sandler).
Some of the other high-profile titles competing for the Golden Lion include: Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein," with Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the monster; Chloé Zhao's "Hamnet," a work of historical fiction about William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife (Jessie Buckley) after the death of their son; and Benny Safdie's sports drama "The Smashing Machine," starring Johnson as MMA fighter Mark Kerr and Emily Blunt as his wife.
Also in competition are Kathryn Bigelow's "A House of Dynamite," a political thriller about an imminent missile strike on the U.S., starring Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson, and Jim Jarmusch's anthology film "Father Mother Sister Brother," with Cate Blanchett and Adam Driver. Many master filmmakers are also in the section: Park Chan-wook will debut "No Other Choice"; László Nemes has his most personal film yet in "Orphan"; and François Ozon takes on an Albert Camus adaptation with "L'étranger."
One of the titles bound to make waves is Kaouther Ben Hania's "The Voice of Hind Rajab," about the young girl who was killed along with six other relatives when they were trapped in their car under Israeli fire in northern Gaza.
Luca Guadagnino's "After the Hunt," a psychological thriller for the #MeToo era about a complaint of sexual violence at an American university, is debuting out of competition — a joint decision between the filmmaker and Amazon MGM. It will mark Roberts' first time at the festival. She co-stars in the film with Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri.
Julian Schnabel's "In the Hand of Dante," based on the cult novel, with Isaac, Gal Gadot, Al Pacino and Martin Scorsese, is also showing out of competition, as is Gus Van Sant's "Dead Man's Wire," with Bill Skarsgård, Colman Domingo and an appearance by Pacino.
The festival held on the Lido, a barrier island in the Venetian Lagoon, will open with Paolo Sorrentino's "La Grazia," starring Toni Servillo and Anna Ferzetti, on Aug. 27 and run through Sept. 6. Alexander Payne is presiding over the main competition jury, which also includes actor Fernanda Torres and directors Cristian Mungiu, Mohammad Rasoulof and Maura Delpero.
Venice has established itself as a solid launching pad for Oscar hopefuls, with a handful of best picture winners, including "The Shape of Water," "Spotlight," "Nomadland" and "Birdman," and many more nominees to its name. Last year's edition had several eventual Oscar winning films in the lineup, including Brady Corbet's "The Brutalist," which won three including best actor for Adrien Brody, Walter Salles' best international feature winner "I'm Still Here," and the animated short "In the Shadow of the Cypress."
Corbet co-wrote another competition entry with his partner Mona Fastvold, who directed, "The Testament of Ann Lee" with Amanda Seyfried. Like "The Brutalist," it was also shot on 70 mm, but is quite a bit shorter.
Venice will be just the first stop for several films, including "Hamnet," "Frankenstein" and "The Smashing Machine," which will all go on to play at the Toronto Film Festival shortly after.
The festival has programmed 15 documentaries out of competition including Golden Lion winner Laura Poitras, and Mark Obenhaus's, "Cover-Up," about investigative journalist Seymour Hersh; Sofia Coppola's documentary "Marc by Sofia" about her longtime friendship with fashion designer Marc Jacobs; Werner Herzog's doc "Ghost Elephants," described as being as exciting as a thriller; and "Kim Novak's Vertigo."
Both Novak and Herzog are being honored with lifetime achievement awards during the festival.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


LBCI
a day ago
- LBCI
A genius mourned: Lebanon gathers for Ziad Rahbani's memorial
Report by Yazbek Wehbe, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi Ziad Rahbani was more than a composer or playwright—he was a mirror of Lebanon's identity, a vital part of its theatrical and musical soul. On the second day of his memorial services, his presence was deeply felt in the eyes and hearts of those who came to bid him farewell. The nation remains cloaked in grief over the loss of the man many regarded as a genius. At the Church of the Dormition in Mhaydseh, Bikfaya—a place long familiar to the Rahbani family—the hall overflowed with mourners. Some were political figures who may have aligned or disagreed with his ideals, but all were united in their admiration of his artistry. Artists from both his generation and the younger ones gathered as well, drawn by the brilliance of a man whose unconventional philosophy left a lasting mark. Among them were his closest companions in theater, music, and life—those who truly understood the complexity of his mind and spirit. Some chose silence over words, holding on to the joy of shared memories, while others remembered him in their own heartfelt ways. At the heart of this collective sorrow stood his mother, the legendary Fairouz. Her silence spoke volumes, and the tear in her eye captured the depth of her pain. To many, Fairouz is a national symbol, and in her grief, the nation grieves with her. Though the official mourning may last only a few days, Fairouz's private tribute will continue each morning—from the balcony of her home in Zeghrine, where she will sing to her son, echoing his melodies in eternal prayer.


Nahar Net
2 days ago
- Nahar Net
'Lilo & Stitch' stars reflect on film's success and are eager for a sequel
by Naharnet Newsdesk 28 July 2025, 16:52 A few things have changed for the stars of "Lilo & Stitch" since the movie became the breakout hit of 2025. For 8-year-old star Maia Kealoha, it's meant no more Doritos – she's learned she has to keep her teeth clean, especially when doing interviews. Kealoha, Sydney Agudong and Tia Carrere have been doing lots of those, taking a victory lap with "Lilo & Stitch" at Comic-Con 2025 and promoting the film's release for digital purchase. Another change? Kealoha says with a big grin that she's been recognized at stores "like five thousand times." Agudong says the movie "an ode to Hawaii" and it's been really cool to "see how much the world has taken to it and how much impact 'Lilo & Stitch' really has had as just this lifelong and timeless story." She says she's been fortunate to celebrate the film's success with family and friends and despite premieres and whirlwind interviews, she still gets to "go to the beach and have fun all over again and I'm just the same." Kealoha and Agudong are the breakout stars of the film, which is the biggest blockbuster of 2025, earning more than $1 billion. "Our little blue friend Stitch is now a billionaire and we couldn't be more excited about it," Carrere says excitedly. As for a sequel, Agudong says the trio are feeling "hanna hou," a Hawaiian term for repeating or doing something again. "Though, of course, we cannot confirm or deny the existence of any such project in this universe or the next. Sorry!" Carrere cheerfully noted.


Nahar Net
2 days ago
- Nahar Net
'Fantastic Four: First Steps' scores Marvel's first $100 million box office opening
by Naharnet Newsdesk 28 July 2025, 14:29 Marvel's first family has finally found box office gold. "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," the first film about the superheroes made under the guidance of Kevin Feige and the Walt Disney Co., earned $118 million in its first weekend in 4,125 North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. That makes it the fourth biggest opening of the year, behind "A Minecraft Movie," "Lilo & Stitch" and "Superman," and the biggest Marvel opening since "Deadpool & Wolverine" grossed $211 million out of the gate last summer. Internationally, "Fantastic Four" made $100 million from 52 territories, adding up to a $218 million worldwide debut. The numbers were within the range the studio was expecting. The film arrived in the wake of another big superhero reboot, James Gunn's "Superman," which opened three weekends ago and has already crossed $500 million globally. That film, from the other main player in comic book films, DC Studios, took second place with $24.9 million domestically. The box office success of "First Steps" and "Superman" means "the whole notion of superhero fatigue, which has been talked about a lot, can I think be put to rest. I always say it's bad movie fatigue, not superhero fatigue," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. "First Steps" is the latest attempt at bringing the superhuman family to the big screen, following lackluster performances for other versions. The film, based on the original Marvel comics, is set during the 1960s in a retro-futuristic world led by the Fantastic Four, a family of astronauts-turned-superhuman from exposure to cosmic rays during a space mission. The family is made up of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), who can stretch his body to incredible lengths; Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), who can render herself invisible; Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), who transforms into a fiery human torch; and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who possesses tremendous superhuman strength with his stone-like flesh. The movie takes place four years after the family gained powers, during which Reed's inventions have transformed technology, and Sue's diplomacy has led to global peace. Both audiences and critics responded positively to the film, which currently has an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and promising exit poll responses from opening weekend ticket buyers. An estimated 46% of audiences chose to see it on premium screens, including IMAX and other large formats. The once towering Marvel is working to rebuild audience enthusiasm for its films and characters. Its two previous offerings this year did not reach the cosmic box office heights of "Deadpool & Wolverine," which made over $1.3 billion, or those of the "Avengers"-era. But critically, the films have been on an upswing since the poorly reviewed "Captain America: Brave New World," which ultimately grossed $415 million worldwide. "Thunderbolts," which jumpstarted the summer movie season, was better received critically but financially is capping out at just over $382 million globally. Like Deadpool and Wolverine, the Fantastic Four characters had been under the banner of 20th Century Fox for years. The studio produced two critically loathed, but decently profitable attempts in the mid-2000s with future Captain America Chris Evans as the Human Torch. In 2015, it tried again (unsuccessfully) with Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller. They got another chance after Disney's $71 billion acquisition of Fox's entertainment assets in 2019. The "Fantastic Four's" opening weekend results were a little less than some rival studio projections, Dergarabedian said. Nonetheless, the film is expected to carry movie theater earnings well into August. Holdovers dominated the top 10, but one other newcomer managed to make the chart. The dark romantic comedy "Oh, Hi!" earned $1.1 million from 866 screens. "Jurassic World Rebirth" landed in third place in its fourth weekend with $13 million, followed by "F1" with $6.2 million. The Brad Pitt racing movie also passed $500 million globally. "Smurfs" rounded out the top five with $5.4 million in its second weekend. The box office is currently up over 12% from last year. Top 10 movies by domestic box office With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 1. "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," $118 million. 2. "Superman," $24.9 million. 3. "Jurassic World Rebirth," $13 million. 4. "F1: The Movie," $6.2 million. 5. "Smurfs," $5.4 million. 6. "I Know What You Did Last Summer," $5.1 million. 7. "How to Train Your Dragon," $2.8 million. 8. "Eddington," $1.7 million. 9. "Saiyaara," $1.3 million. 10. "Oh, Hi!," $1.1 million.