MILAN - Recharge your batteries and enjoy a relaxing summer vacation, because the cinematic back-to-school and red carpet events promise to be intense.
When organizers of the 81st Venice International Film Festival announced the event's program on Tuesday, film fans and fashion lovers alike were high on anticipation for the upcoming edition, which runs from August 28 to September 7.
More from WWDRenowned directors, from Tim Burton and Pedro Almodóvar to Todd Phillips and Luca Guadagnino, will all be present at the famous Venice Lido. They will be joined by a star-studded cast and more. Famous names include Lady Gaga, Joaquin Phoenix, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, Michael Keaton and Monica Bellucci, to name a few.
As revealed earlier this week, the event will kick off with the world premiere of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," the highly anticipated sequel to one of Burton's most celebrated works. Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara will reprise their original roles, and will be joined by new cast members including Burton's current partner Bellucci; Justin Theroux; Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe. Dafoe is set to become an increasingly regular guest at Venice, as the actor was recently named the new artistic director of the Venice Biennale's Theatre Department for the 2025-26 season.
Burton's new film, which is being presented out of competition in Venice and will hit theaters in North America on September 6, also counts Pitt among its executive producers. The American actor could also land in Venice for his key role in the out-of-competition film "Wolfs" from the "Spider-Man" saga director Jon Watts, in which Pitt will co-star with old friend Clooney.
Meanwhile, Pitt's ex-wife Jolie is expected to attend the premiere of "Maria," the biopic about Maria Callas directed by Pablo Larraín, in which she portrays the iconic opera singer during her final years in Paris.
The film will be one of 21 titles competing at the festival, against other major films. These include "Joker: Folie À Deux," the highly anticipated psychological thriller directed by Todd Phillips that will see Phoenix reprise the title role that won him the Academy Award for Best Actor.in 2020. For this sequel, Phoenix will be joined by Lady Gaga, who will play his character's love interest, Harley Quinn. The actress is likely to deliver one of the biggest fashion moments of the event, following in the footsteps of her appearance at the Venice Film Festival in 2018,when she arrived at the premiere of "A Star is Born" in a dazzling organza Valentino haute couture gown covered in pink feathers.
While it's not yet known which designer she'll choose for her return to the Venice red carpet, she'll face serious competition on the fashion front from Swinton and Moore. The actresses lead the cast of another major film competing at the festival, "The Room Next Door," which will be Almodóvar's full-length English-language debut.
While the Chanel and Bottega Veneta looks may be making an appearance in the fashion crystal ball, as Swinton and Moore have respectively proven their love for those brands, it's likely that a Loewe outfit will also make an appearance on the red carpet somewhere. Daniel Craig, who was revealed earlier this month as the star of the viral Loewe fall 2024 men's ad campaign, is set to star in "Queer," the new film directed by Guadagnino - also a friend of Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson.
Based on the 1985 novel by William S. Burroughs, the historical romantic drama set in 1940s Mexico City is being billed as one of Guadagnino's most intimate projects. It's expected to shed new light on Craig's acting chops, as he'll transcend his longtime role as British Secret Service agent James Bond to play an American expat who falls for a younger man, played by Drew Starkey. Incidentally, Guadagnino will be pulling double duty during the festival, as he'll also be serving as artistic director of the Homo Faber artisan exhibition running in Venice from September 1 to 30, as reported.
Other names expected in Venice include Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, who co-star in Justin Kurzel's film "The Order", as well as the cast of "The Brutalist", starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Joe Alwyn and Guy Pearce.
These will join the stars of the out-of-competition series "Disclaimer", directed by Alfonso Cuarón, which also includes Venice Film Festival regular Cate Blanchett, flanked by Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, Indira Varma, Louis Partridge and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
French actress Isabelle Huppert is also expected at the Lido, where she will chair the international jury that will select and award the prizes at the closing ceremony, including the Golden Lion for best film, which last year went to Yorgos Lanthimos's "Poor Things."The jury for this edition, which was announced earlier this month, will consist of eight other international celebrities, including directors James Gray, Andrew Haigh and Giuseppe Tornatore, and Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi.
Fashion events are expected to be added to the busy schedules of movie stars and directors. Miu Miu typically talks with actors to accompany the screening of the latest instalment of its Women's Tales short film project, while the festival's long-standing sponsor, Armani Beauty, and Chanel have established a tradition of hosting glamorous after-dark gatherings.
The music world will also be represented. As reported, Grammy Award-winning singer Kelly Rowland will be heading to the lagoon to perform at the annual amfAR gala in Venice, which will be held on September 1 at the Hangar Nicelli venue.
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