VENICE, Italy (AP) — Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are getting ready to descend on the this week, from and Angelina Jolie to Lady Gaga and Brad Pitt.
But while the allure of A-listers on those picturesque docks is a welcome return to form after last year’s lower-wattage edition the spotlight that matters most will be on their films. Along Venice — which runs from Aug. 28 through Sept. 7 — is one of the most glamorous launching pads for awards season. The films that do well on the Lido will be dominating the conversation until
In this year's lineup, there’s both big Hollywood fare (“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and to “Wolfs”) and a vast array of intriguing films from auteurs around the world. At festivals, the best thing is to keep an open mind and — you never know what might hit. In the meantime, though, here are 10 films to get excited about at Venice.
“Joker: Folie à Deux” (Sept. 4)
No matter which side of the you were on five years ago, the fact that all involved would bring the sequel back to Venice to play in competition is promising. doesn’t need the festival buzz, after all. The first film made over $1 billion and was nominated Venice chief Alberto Barbera told Deadline that it’s completely different from the first, a dystopian musical that is “one of the most daring, brave and creative films in recent American cinema” and “confirms Todd Phillips as one of the most creative directors working at the moment.” It’ll be in theaters Oct. 4.
“Maria” (Aug. 29)
is not to be ignored when he makes a film about a famous woman with a tragic narrative (see: “Jackie”). This time he’s teamed with screenwriter Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”) and Jolie to bring back to life in “Maria.” The soprano was a tabloid fixture, perhaps most famous for her affair with Aristotle Onassis, who would end up leaving her for another of Larraín’s tragic women: Callas died in 1977, at age 53, but remains one of classical music’s bestselling artists. “Maria” is playing in competition and seeking distribution.
“Queer” (Sept. 3)
returns to Venice with “Queer,” an adaptation of the William S. Burroughs novel, starring in a performance that Barbera has called “career defining.” It follows an American expat to Mexico City on a quest for a drug. There, he encounters all sorts of characters and develops an obsession with a young man. The novel was written in the early 1950s, a sort of companion piece to “Junkie,” but not published until 1985. Others have attempted to adapt it before, including Steve Buscemi and Oren Moverman. “Queer” is also seeking distribution.
“The Room Next Door” (Sept. 2)
English-language debut, with and starring? We barely even need a description to get excited about that, which is probably good because details are vague. He’s said that it’s about an imperfect mother and a resentful daughter who are estranged because of a “profound misunderstanding.” In addition to tackling subjects like war, death, friendship and sexual pleasure, Almodóvar said, “it also talks about the pleasure of waking up to birds bringing a new day at a house built on a natural reserve in New England.” It’ll also make a stop at the before a December release.
“Babygirl” (Aug. 30)
Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn made the so we’re especially curious what “Babygirl” holds. The erotic thriller stars (who 25 years ago came to Venice with “Eyes Wide Shut”) as a powerful CEO who begins an affair with a younger intern played by (“Triangle of Sadness,” “The Iron Claw”). also co-stars. A24 plans a December theatrical release.
“The Brutalist” (Sept. 1)
This 3 1/2-hour drama from filmmaker follows architect László Toth and his wife Erzsébet on a decadeslong journey as they flee Europe following World War II and attempt to set up a life in America. There, Toth meets industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren who commissions him to design a modernist monument, changing their lives for better and worse. Corbet (“Vox Lux”) is not always going to be a filmmaker for everyone, but he’s never not interesting. Focus Features and Universal are distributing, but the movie does not yet have a release date.
“Youth (Homecoming)” (Sept. 6)
There are quite a few innovative offerings in the nonfiction space: “Separated,” about the Trump administration’s border policy; future-looking “2073”; “Pavements,” Alex Ross Perry’s hybrid doc about the and Andres Veiel's “Riefenstahl.” But only one made it to the main competition: Wang Bing’s “Youth (Homecoming),” the conclusion to his in which he followed migrant workers in Zhili, China’s textile factories across five years. It's seeking distribution.
“April” (Sept. 5)
sophomore film is about Nina, an OB-GYN working in rural Georgia who also performs abortions, despite the laws of the country. When a newborn dies in her care, an investigation fuels rumors about her morality and professionalism. Three years after snagged the top prize at Venice, the buzz is that this will be one of the breakouts. Kulumbegashvili’s debut, “Beginning,” about the bombing of a Jehovah’s Witnesses church, made waves on the festival circuit in 2020. “April,” which is seeking a U.S. distributor, is also set to play at TIFF and the New York Film Festival.
“The Order” (Aug. 31)
produced and stars in this 1980s-set crime thriller about a white supremacist group who his FBI agent character suspects is tied to a series of crimes in the Pacific Northwest. plays the group's charismatic leader in the film, to be released in theaters in December.
“Harvest” (Sept. 3)
“Attenberg” and returns to the main competition with “Harvest,” an adaptation of the Jim Crace novel set in a medieval English village where the locals use three newcomers as scapegoats for economic turmoil. It's apparently the reason star . Mubi has distribution rights in several European territories, but no dates or U.S. plans have been announced.
BONUS: “Disclaimer” (Aug. 29)
This is not a film, but this series coming to AppleTV+ on Oct. 11 is from who wrote and directed the seven-episode psychological thriller starring and Blanchett plays a journalist who discovers she's a character in a novel that reveals her dark secret.
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For more coverage of the 2024 Venice Film Festival, visit .
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
