It’s official: Adam Driver, Caleb Landry Jones, Mads Mikkelsen and Jessica Chastain are among the stars set to attend the upcoming Venice Film Festival.
Following multiple unsourced reports, the festival has confirmed that Driver is expected on the Lido’s red carpet to promote Micheal Mann’s “Ferrari,” in which he plays the titular character, Italian car racing pioneer Enzo Ferrari; Landry Jones is coming for Luc Besson’s “Dogman”; Mikkelsen will make the trek for Danish director Nikolaj Arcel’s “The Promised Land” and Chastain for Mexican auteur Michel Franco’s “Memory,” her first role since her Oscar-winning performance in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.”
Also expected on the Lido are Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, who play Priscilla and Elvis Presley in Sophia Coppola’s “Priscilla.” as well as Priscilla Presley herself.
All the above films have obtained SAG-AFTRA interim waivers since they are indie productions that have not been produced by AMPTP members.
However, according to Italian news agency ANSA Kiefer Sutherland is also likely to be on the Lido to pay homage to the late William Friedkin’s last film, legal drama “The Caine Mutiny Court Martial,” despite the fact that it is produced by Showtime and Paramount Global, which is an AMPTP member.
Meanwhile, the Venice party scene has been only slightly impacted by the SAG-AFTRA strike, with just one cancellation of an Armani event that revolved around Cate Blanchett.
As announced by Variety, Ava DuVernay – whose drama “Origin,” inspired by Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” will mark the first work by an African American woman director to be in the Venice competition – will be honored by international AIDS organization amfAR with its Award of Inspiration during a gala dinner that will include performances by singers Rita Ora and Leona Lewis. But it’s still not certain whether the film’s stars, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Niecy Nash-Betts, Jon Bernthal and Vera Farmiga will be attending the festival.
Venice’s upcoming 80th edition runs Aug. 30-Sept. 9.
