The Venice Film Festival kicks off next month on August 31, and it already looks like a killer year. And Netflix has a monopoly on big world premieres at the festival, as Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise” was announced as the festival’s opening night film this morning. There’s other highly-anticipated picture likely to debut at the festival, too, though, and two of those are apparently from directors whose last films came out in 2017.
READ MORE: Venice 2022: New Films From Alejandro Iñárritu, Noah Baumbach, Luca Guadagnino, & More Expected To Premiere At Festival
Variety reports that, while not confirmed, Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees Of Inisherin”— which received its first look this morning— and Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale” will likely get locked in for Venice premieres. The two films mark the first films from either director in half a decade. McDonagh’s last movie, “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbings, Missouri,” was his biggest critical hit yet, netting him several Oscar nominations and wins for actors Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell. Meanwhile, Aronofsky’s “Mother!,” divided critics and elicited both boos and a standing ovation at its world premiere in Venice in 2017. “Mother!” was a washout commercially, too, but then again, it’s a Darren Aronofsky movie.
“The Banshees Of Inisherin” sees “In Bruges” stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson reunite with McDonagh for a tale about friends who have a fallout during the Irish Civil War. Searchlight Pictures will bring the film to the Lido if Venice director Alberto Barbera accepts it. Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon also star in the movie, which has an October 21 date for theatrical release. If selected, “Inisherin” would be McDonagh’s second film in a row with a Venice world premiere.
“The Whale” is Aronofsky’s adaptation of Samuel D. Hunter’s 2012 play of the same name, about a morbidly obese recluse. Brendan Fraser stars with Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, and Ty Simpkins. A24 handles the theatrical release for “The Whale,” but no news yet on when it will hit theaters.
If selected for the 79th edition of the festival, both films will join a formidable set of films in Venice this year. Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde” and Alejandro Iñárritu’s “Bardo” seem set to lead the charge for Netflix with the aforementioned “White Noise.” Luca Guadagnino’s cannibal love story “Bones And All” is Amazon’s big movie at the festival. Other notable films most likely to premiere at the Lido this year include Todd Field’s “Tár” and Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling.”
So, will either “The Banshees Of Inisherin” or “The Whale” take home the coveted Golden Lion a Lido? Both will undoubtedly be in the running if they’re accepted as selections. The Venice Film Festival official line-up hits this week, so you won’t have to wait long for the answers.