‘Poor Things’ and ‘Challengers’ to World Premiere at Venice

Cannes only just got started, but the Venice leaks have already begun. I’d Venice boss Alberto Barbera behind them? Hmm ..

A Variety write-up basically confirms that Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” and Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn” will be in the lineup. As previously reported, Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” will not be there.

Also strongly tipped are Kenneth Branagh’s “A Haunting in Venice,” with Michelle Yeoh and Branagh reprising his role as Hercule Poirot, Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” with Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz, and Jeymes Samuel’s “The Book of Clarence,” with Omar Sy, LaKeith Stanfield and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Other titles set to premiere at the Lido include Italian director Saverio Costanzo’s “Finalmente L’alba,” Matteo Garrone’s “Io Capitano,” Barbera has still not seen Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” or Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro.”

I’ll repost my last longlist of possible Venice contenders, which was published on 05.05.23:

Michael Mann’s “Ferrari”
Roman Polanski’s “The Palace”
Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro”
Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers”
Duke Johnson’s “The Actor”
Pablo Larrain’s “El Condo”
Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist”
Luc Besson’s “Dogman”
Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla”
Andrew Haigh’s “Strangers”
Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things”
Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers”
Michel Franco’s “Memory”
Bruno Dumont’s “L’Empire”
Joachim Lafosse’s “Un Silence”
Mateo Garrone’s “The Captain”
Cristi Puiu’s “MMXX”
Bertrand Bonnello’s “The Beast”
Kiril Serebrenikkov’s “Limonov”
Ladj Ly’s “Les Indesirables”
Xavier LeGrand’s “Le Successeur”
Richard Linklater’s “Hitman”
Kitty Green’s “The Royal Hotel”
Sean Durkin’s “The Iron Claw”
Woody Allen’s “Coup de Chance”
Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders”
Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn”
Radu Jude’s “Do Not Expect too Much of the End”

Other contenders include Christos Nikou’s “Fingernails,” Viggo Mortensen’s “The Dead Don't Hurt,” Mareike Engelhardt’s “The Other Place,” Gu Xiaogang’s “Cao Mu Ren Jian,” Kobiela’s “The Peseants,” Alex Garland’s “Civil War,” Johanna Pyykkö’s “Ebba,” Jérémy Clapin’s “Pendant ce Temps sur Terre,” Mati Diop’s “Le Retour,” Meryam Joubeur’s “Motherhood,” Trueba/Marsical‘s I Shot the Piano Player,” Karim Dridi’s “Lazy Girls,” Benito Zambrano’s “El Salto,” Rose Glass’ “Love Lies Bleeding,” Fien Troch’s “Holly,” Phuttiphong Aroonpheng‘s “Morrison,” Gu Xiaogang‘a “Dwelling By The West Lake,” Juan Antonio Bayona‘s “Society of The Snow,” Lou Ye‘a “Suzhou River,” Lea Domenach’s “La Tortue,” Vanessa Filho’s “Le Consentement.”

Damien Chazelle will be president of the Jury for this 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival.