Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson in a scene from \u201cDune,\u201d directed by Denis Villeneuve.Credit…Chia Bella James\/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., via Associated Press<\/p>\n
\u201cDune,\u201d Denis Villeneuve\u2019s highly anticipated science-fiction epic starring Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet, and Pablo Larra\u00edn\u2019s \u201cSpencer,\u201d which dramatizes Princess Diana\u2019s decision to divorce Prince Charles, are among the movies that will premiere at this year\u2019s Venice Film Festival.<\/p>\n
The festival, scheduled to run from Sept. 1-11, will also see the presentation of new films by Pedro Almod\u00f3var (\u201cMadres Paralelas,\u201d starring Pen\u00e9lope Cruz), Ridley Scott (\u201cThe Last Duel,\u201d with Matt Damon) and Jane Campion (the Benedict Cumberbatch-starring \u201cThe Power of the Dog\u201d), as well as Maggie Gyllenhaal\u2019s directorial debut, \u201cThe Lost Daughter,\u201d based on a novel by Elena Ferrante and starring Olivia Colman.<\/p>\n
The star-studded lineup, announced at a news conference on Monday, suggests that this year\u2019s festival will be a more glamorous affair after last year\u2019s scaled-down pandemic edition, which featured few celebrity names.<\/p>\n
The presence of some Hollywood blockbusters on the program shows that \u201cAmericans have emerged from the lockdown and they are ready to restart,\u201d Alberto Barbera, the festival\u2019s artistic director, said at the news conference.<\/p>\n
Some of the most anticipated U.S.-funded movies will appear out of competition, including \u201cDune,\u201d the latest attempt to adapt that Frank Herbert novel following efforts by David Lynch and Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Scott\u2019s \u201cThe Last Duel,\u201d starring Damon as a knight who challenges his squire, played by Adam Driver, to a duel after his wife (Jodie Comer) accuses the sidekick of rape.<\/p>\n
\u201cHalloween Kills,\u201d the latest movie in the \u201cHalloween\u201d horror franchise, will also premiere out of competition. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis, who will receive the festival\u2019s lifetime achievement award.<\/p>\n
In the competition, Almod\u00f3var\u2019s \u201cMadres Paralelas\u201d (\u201cParallel Mothers\u201d), about two women who meet in a hospital where they are about to give birth, is one of 21 films that will compete for the Golden Lion, the festival\u2019s main prize.<\/p>\n
It will be up against Larra\u00edn\u2019s \u201cSpencer,\u201d starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana; Campion\u2019s \u201cThe Power of the Dog,\u201d about a sadistic ranch owner; and Paul Schrader\u2019s \u201cThe Card Counter,\u201d about a gambler caught in a revenge plot.
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Five of the 21 competition films are directed by women, Barbera said \u2014 down from eight last year. \u201cIt might seem a step backward, but that is just a partial point of view,\u201d he added. Female directors appeared to have been hit by the coronavirus pandemic more than their male counterparts, he said, adding, \u201cI really hope they will have a comeback.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bong Joon Ho, the director of \u201cParasite,\u201d will chair the competition jury that also includes the British actress Cynthia Erivo and Chlo\u00e9 Zhao, the director of \u201cNomadland,\u201d which won last year\u2019s Golden Lion and went on to win the Academy Award for best film.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s festival may see the return of blockbusters to Venice, but it will still be far from business as usual. Roberto Cicutto, the festival\u2019s president, said at the news conference that rules introduced last year to limit the spread of the coronavirus, such as compulsory seat reservations and masks for indoor screenings, would likely continue.<\/p>\n
In line with Italian government regulations coming into force Aug. 6, anyone attending screenings, or even eating indoors at the festival site, will be required to show proof of having received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, a recent negative test result or a certificate showing proof of having recovered from the illness in the past six months.<\/p>\n
Italy\u2019s government announced the requirements this month as virus numbers rose across the country. On Sunday, the public health authorities reported new 4,742 cases. That is far down from this year\u2019s peak of over 25,000 new daily cases in March, but the rise in cases has caused concern in a country that the pandemic hit hard last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year, we hoped we could be more relaxed,\u201d Cicutto said. \u201cFor the time being, it isn\u2019t so. But we continue to hope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n