Venice Film Festival: 'Frankenstein,' 'Smashing Machine' among lineup
July 22 (UPI) -- The 82nd annual Venice International Film Festival announced its 2025 lineup Tuesday.
The roster of films is a pool of both splashy titles with major names attached, to smaller flicks hoping to make more than a ripple as they take the fest plunge.
Set to run from Aug. 27 through Sept. 6, some of the festival's more anticipated movies include Bugonia, a sci-fi dark comedy directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring frequent collaborator Emma Stone, and The Smashing Machine, director Benny Safdie's tale about two-time UFC heavyweight champion Mark Kerr, portrayed by Dwayne Johnson.
Also screening In Competition is Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic gothic novel. Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth star in the film, which will be released on Netflix.
Two other original offerings from Netflix were also selected: Kathryn Bigelow's A House of Dynamite, with Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Greta Lee, Gabriel Basso and Jared Harris on deck, and Noah Baumbach's Jay Kelly, starring George Clooney.
Fellow streamer Mubi's movies are also likely to grab some eyes, as its La Grazia, from Paolo Sorrentino, will open the festival. Father Mother Sister Brother, directed by Jim Jarmusch and starring Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Adam Driver and Charlotte Rampling, will also screen.
Out of Competition titles include Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt, starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri, and Julian Schnabel's In the Hand of Dante, featuring Martin Scorsese, Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler.
Gus Van Sant's Dead Man's Wire, starring a powerful trio of Bill Skarsgård, Colman Domingo and Al Pacino, was also selected, along with Marc by Sofia, Sofia Coppola's documentary about fashion designer Marc Jacobs, and the Werner Herzog documentary Ghost Elephants.
As for indie entries, Mona Fastvold's The Testament of Ann Lee, starring Amanda Seyfried, is another piece that has some buzz.
Dwayne Johnson turns 52: a look back
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson poses with his wax image, which was unveiled for the media on April 10, 2002, at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in New York City. Earlier that year, the wrestler made his acting debut in "The Scorpion King." Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI | License Photo
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