Angelina Jolie appears at the 77th Tony Awards in New York on June 16, 2024. Jolie brings opera singer Maria Callas to life in “Maria.” (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File) VENICE, Italy — Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are getting ready to descend on the Venice Film Festival this week, from George Clooney and Angelina Jolie to Lady Gaga and Brad Pitt.
But while the allure of A-listers on those picturesque docks is a welcome return to form after last year’s lower-wattage edition amid the strikes, the spotlight that matters most will be on their films. Along with Cannes, Venice – which runs from Aug. 28 through Sept.
7 – is one of the most glamorous launching pads for awards season. The films that do well on the Lido will be dominating the conversation until the Oscars in March. In this year’s lineup, there’s both big Hollywood fare (“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 2” to “Wolfs”) and a vast array of intriguing films from auteurs around the world.
At festivals, the best thing is to keep an open mind and see as much as possible — you never know what might hit. In the meantime, though, here are 10 films to get excited about at Venice. “Joker: Folie à Deux” (Sept.
4) No matter which side of the “Joker” discourse you were on five years ago, the fact that all involved would bring the sequel back to Venice to play in competition is promising. “Joker: Folie à Deux” doesn’t need the festival b.