There may be a shortage of major Hollywood productions, but there will be no shortage of stars. Italian names include Jasmine Trinca and Luca Marinelli, while the Gallagher brothers are also expected in Venice — together again, but not on stage
If we had to choose the ten leading figures of this year’s Venice Film Festival, George Clooney would be the obvious place to start. The Hollywood star will receive the prestigious Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement and, as always, leave a piece of his heart on the Lido.
One of Hollywood’s most Italian-loving stars will be at the center of the festival’s opening, attending three events, including a masterclass and a forum. This will be far from a perfunctory appearance: Clooney is set for a week-long royal visit to what he has called his “favorite festival of all.”
There may be no major American blockbusters designed to attract the flashbulbs, but the stars will still be out in force. Among them is Robert Pattinson, who will make his Venice debut with Primetime, in which he stars and serves as a producer.
Fresh from his appearance in The Odyssey, where he played the unpleasant Antinous, Pattinson will take on an almost equally unsettling role here as a television host specializing in hard-hitting journalism.
Jasmine Trinca will have a particularly prominent role, appearing in two films that connect her past with the future. She reunites with Nanni Moretti, the director who launched her career, in Succederà questa notte, while also working with one of Italy’s most acclaimed emerging filmmakers, Paolo Strippoli, in L’estranea.
Another central figure will be Nanni Moretti, who returns to Venice after 37 years. His last appearance at the festival was in 1989 with Palombella rossa, which was not entered into competition.
That experience clearly left a bitter taste for the director, who has taken his time before returning to the Lido. Succederà questa notte has been described by festival director Alberto Barbera as radically different from Moretti’s recent work, suggesting that the filmmaker has chosen the element of surprise for his comeback.
Penélope Cruz is another of the festival’s most eagerly anticipated stars. She has a rare ability to appear both glamorous and completely approachable — the kind of actress you could imagine sitting down for coffee with.
Cruz will star alongside her husband Javier Bardem in Bunker, directed by Florian Zeller and written specifically for the couple. The film will be interesting not only for their performances but also for how they discuss a story centered on a relationship.
As for Javier Bardem, much of the same applies, with one additional detail. In recent years, the actor has become known for his extravagant declarations of love for Cruz, many of which have gone viral on social media.
That makes his appearance in a film exploring the dynamics of a couple all the more intriguing, particularly in a story designed for the big screen.
The Gallagher brothers are almost like two unicorns when it comes to appearing together in public. Seeing Liam and Noel Gallagher at the same event, without a stage or musical instruments separating them, remains an extraordinary rarity.
After 15 years of feuds, grudges and a long-awaited reunion largely kept behind the scenes, the Oasis brothers will be together in Venice to present Live ’25 Tour, a project featuring the pair’s first interviews since their split.
Demand for tickets to the screenings has reportedly been almost as intense as the rush for tickets to their concerts.
Luca Marinelli is also among the festival’s leading figures, starring in The Echo Chamber, based on the final screenplay by Bernardo Bertolucci. Marinelli already won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor in 2019 for Martin Eden, and seven years later he will be hoping for another triumph.
Keeping Hollywood’s presence strong is Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon, who stars alongside Marinelli in The Echo Chamber.
Sarandon turns 80 in October, but she arrives in Venice with the same energy and passion she has shown throughout her career. Her appearance also carries an added significance after she felt sidelined by Hollywood over her political positions on Gaza.
Louis Garrel, one of the most admired actors of his generation, will also return to the Lido for Moretti’s film.
Closely associated with Italian cinema, Garrel was for years regarded as the archetype of the charming Parisian intellectual. Over time, however, he has also shown himself to be warm, approachable and, perhaps most importantly, exceptionally courteous.
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