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The Venice Film Festival started with the premiere of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice sequel and a strong presence of celebrity talent at the glamorous competition on the sunny Lido. Lady Gaga, George Clooney, Daniel Craig, Julianne Moore and Brad Pitt are some of the top celebrities who will be attending the world's longest film festival, La Mostra, in Venice, Italy over the next 10 days. Big-budget Hollywood pizzazz made a full comeback on Wednesday with the out-of-competition world premiere of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, following a subdued edition last year amid the Hollywood writers' strike.
Michael Keaton stars once more as a trouble-making ghoul in the movie, along with Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Monica Bellucci, and young actress Jenna Ortega - who wore a red backless dress that matched the red carpet. Tim Burton considered his latest journey into the afterlife a project that came "from my heart", showcasing his passion for the strange and ghoulish.
Burton informed reporters before the debut that he had become somewhat disenchanted with the movie business in recent years. He mentioned that the movie revitalized him, helping him return to his favorite activities with his favorite people, in a way he enjoys.
Soul-sucking creature
Fans of Tim Burton can revisit the wacky world of his 1988 cult classic, Beetlejuice, after 36 years with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Lydia (played by Ryder) is now a TV host focused on the paranormal in the quirky family drama. She is having trouble bonding with her rebellious teenage daughter (Ortega), who stumbles upon a mystery in the attic that leads to chaos in the Deetz household once more.
The second installment features fantastical elements like devilish infants, a spirit train carrying souls to the afterlife with a funky 1970s soundtrack, and a grimy basement reception area where the deceased wait for administrative procedures.
Monica Bellucci delivers a standout performance as Delores, the revenge-seeking former wife of Beetlejuice, who wields a stapler in a memorable opening sequence.
Monica Bellucci sarcastically remarked, "She isn't just a monster, she's a creature." When a reporter inquired about the possibility of another sequel featuring the mischievous and disrespectful ghoul, Burton playfully suggested: "Let's crunch the numbers."
"It took 35 years (to create this follow-up), I will be over 100 (for a third one). It might be possible with today's medical advancements, but I am very skeptical.
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Callas and Joker
At the opening ceremony on Wednesday, Sigourney Weaver received a lifetime achievement Golden Lion award, and she described the honor as "jet fuel of encouragement."
The festival's focus changes on Thursday as attention is drawn to Angelina Jolie portraying Maria Callas in Maria, a biopic by Pablo Larrain depicting the opera diva's troubled life. This movie is one of 21 contenders for the prestigious Golden Lion prize, to be handed out on September 7.
Equally awaited is the dark psychological thriller Joker: Folie a Deux, the sequel to filmmaker Todd Phillips' award-winning 2019 movie inspired by DC Comics characters and taking place in a gritty Gotham City.
The movie reunites Joaquin Phoenix, an Oscar-winning actor who portrayed a failing clown descending into madness, with Lady Gaga as his companion and romantic interest Harley Quinn.
Daniel Craig, known for his role in the Bond films, appears in Queer, a film by Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, which is based on a William Burroughs novel set in 1940s Mexico City. The Order, directed by Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel, stars Jude Law as an FBI agent investigating white supremacy in the Pacific Northwest.
Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar returns with his debut English-language feature, The Room Next Door, featuring Moore and Tilda Swinton, and Nicole Kidman stars alongside Antonio Banderas in the Dutch director Halina Reijn's erotic thriller Babygirl.
The lineup additionally consists of The Brutalist, directed by Brady Corbet from the US, with Adrien Brody starring as a Hungarian Jewish architect embarking on a transformative endeavor.
Two non-competing documentaries on the Ukraine conflict are "Songs of Slow Burning Earth" by Ukrainian director Olha Zhurba and "Russians at War" by Russian-Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova, focusing on a Russian army battalion in eastern Ukraine.
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