The Venice Movie Competition, a perennial awards platform, revealed one other powerhouse lineup Tuesday morning, together with Todd Phillips’ Joaquin Phoenix-Girl Gaga starrer Joker: Folie à Deux, Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language debut The Room Subsequent Door with Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, Luca Guadagnino’s Daniel Craig starrer Queer based mostly on the William S. Burroughs novel, Pablo Larraín’s Maria Callas biopic Maria with Angelina Jolie, and Nicole Kidman A24 film Babygirl.
Competition chief Alberto Barbera confirmed that Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe would all tread the carpet for Tim Burton’s pageant opener, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
RELATED: Battle, Cuts And Id Crises: How Movie Festivals Are Navigating Uneven Waters
This yr’s pageant can even embrace a number of episodes of 4 main collection: Alfonso Cuarón’s Apple TV+ drama Disclaimer, starring Cate Blanchett; Joe Wright’s Mussolini collection M. Son of the Century; Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The New Years; and Thomas Vinterberg’s Households Like Ours.
One vital omission is Netflix, which has had a daily and sizeable presence on the pageant lately. Nevertheless, it was clear from a methods out that this yr the streamer had a smaller roster of apparent Oscar hopefuls.
Shortly after the lineup reveal at the moment, we caught up with Barbera (who lately had his contract prolonged) to debate this yr’s promising lineup.
DEADLINE: You mentioned this morning that you just thought Joker 2 was going to shock folks. I collect the sequel is simply as darkish, if no more darkish, than the primary one…
ALBERTO BARBERA: It’s. It’s a continuation of the story however the movie is totally totally different from the primary movie. If you happen to’re anticipating the identical by way of violence or different issues, you’ll be shocked. Once I noticed the movie in L.A. firstly of February there have been 4 or 5 of us within the screening room, together with author Scott Silver, and we have been astonished, our mouths have been open on the finish of the screening. It’s a darker movie.
DEADLINE: And it’s a musical…
BARBERA: It’s a dystopian musical, or a musical of kinds. I feel it’s one of the daring, courageous and artistic movies in current American cinema. And I feel it actually confirms Todd Phillips as one of the inventive administrators working in the mean time.
DEADLINE: The trailer at the moment was actually intriguing. Do you assume the Academy will reply to the movie?
BARBERA: I might be shocked if not…
RELATED: Peter Weir To Obtain Venice Movie Competition’s Golden Lion For Lifetime Achievement
DEADLINE: This morning you mentioned that Daniel Craig actually “put himself on the road” along with his efficiency in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer. What did you imply by that?
BARBERA: By way of him portraying a homosexual man in a really direct and courageous method, together with a few intercourse scenes which can be fairly full on. I feel it’s the efficiency of his life to date. The identical for Joaquin Phoenix in Joker 2. They’re two actually excellent performances…
RELATED: Isabelle Huppert Named As Jury President At 2024 Venice Movie Competition
Daniel Craig on the premiere of 2021’s ‘No Time to Die’
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Pictures
DEADLINE: It sounds just like the lineup this yr might function a number of sexually charged initiatives…
BARBERA: Sure, wait till you see Disclaimer [laughs]. That’s fairly full-on in an erotic sense. I used to be shocked. After years of absence of intercourse and eroticism in movies, this is without doubt one of the largest surprises on this yr’s lineup – the prevalent theme of intercourse, and the variety of erotic scenes and sexual habits.
DEADLINE: That’s refreshing. A whole lot of streamer initiatives have been fairly sanitised in that sense… Which movies within the lineup do you assume will stand out for the Academy?
BARBERA: Joker, Queer, Maria and the Almodóvar are amongst them. Perhaps The Brutalist, too.
DEADLINE: How do they method the singing in Maria?
BARBERA: It appeared to me that Angelina [Jolie] lip-synced the unique songs.
RELATED: ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ To Open Venice Movie Competition 2024
DEADLINE: You mentioned this morning that we’d have to attend into the second week of the pageant to see among the massive motion pictures…
BARBERA: Sure, it was a matter of timing and schedules. The Almodóvar, Joker and Queer shall be within the second half of the pageant. Joker 2 will most definitely be on Wednesday, for instance.
DEADLINE: You will have these 4 actually intriguing collection this yr. And loads by way of episodes of every collection…
BARBERA: Sure, we’re displaying a variety of every. We have now 5 and half hours of the Cuarón and that’s the shortest collection we’re displaying. Every collection could be very cinematic and has actual filmic qualities.
DEADLINE: By way of among the omissions, Papal-themed Conclave was one some have been anticipating…
BARBERA: That was as a result of a battle of dates…
DEADLINE: Was Gladiator ever an possibility?
BARBERA: No, it wasn’t prepared.
RELATED: Alberto Barbera Renewed As Venice Movie Competition Inventive Director For 2025 and 2026
DEADLINE: May we see any extra massive movies added to the lineup?
BARBERA: I’m seeing another movie tomorrow.
DEADLINE: The Depp film Modi was one some anticipated for Venice, and earlier than it was introduced for San Sebastian, Emmanuelle too. We assume you noticed these movies…
BARBERA: It wouldn’t be truthful for me to debate movies that aren’t right here…
Alberto Barbera
Getty Pictures
DEADLINE: As all the time, you have got an awesome docs lineup. The Russian movie Russians At Struggle by Anastasia Trofimova sounds fascinating for its vital method to the invasion. Will the pageant want to produce further safety for the filmmaker given its delicate topic?
BARBERA: The filmmaker completed the movie in Canada and France. She is planning to return with the movie so far as we all know. We haven’t mentioned safety but however it is going to be one thing we talk about I’m certain.
DEADLINE: Are you able to pinpoint a gem or shock for in Competitors?
BARBERA: The movie from Singapore, Stranger Eyes, by Yeo Siew Hua, is a really mature, fascinating movie, regardless of solely being a second function.
DEADLINE: There was some anxiousness throughout the business that the brand new authorities in Italy or the brand new Biennale president might attempt to exert political affect over the pageant. Have you ever skilled something in the way in which of censorship or political course from them?
BARBERA: None. We’ve been working very effectively and I’ve labored precisely like I did earlier than…
DEADLINE: No points over the Mussolini collection, for instance…
BARBERA: None in any respect…That’s based mostly on a extremely popular e book in Italy, anyway.
RELATED: Venice Movie Competition 2023 Photographs: Purple Carpet Premieres & Closing Ceremony Winners
RELATED: Venice Movie Competition 2023 Awards Winners
RELATED: Venice Movie Competition 2023: All Of Deadline’s Film Evaluations
