The 2026 Venice Film Festival opens today, September 2, drawing Hollywood's elite to the Lido for 11 days of premieres and awards buzz. Last year's edition featured Oscar contenders like The Smashing Machine, The Testament of Ann Lee, Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, and Yorgos Lanthimos's Bugonia, the latter two earning multiple Academy Award nominations. This year, after a quieter Cannes with no major studio participation, Venice has captured the season's most anticipated titles, with Danny Boyle and Martin McDonagh unveiling new works and Robert Pattinson, Al Pacino, and Oasis brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher expected on the red carpet.
Boyle's Ink Tackles Tabloid Origins
Danny Boyle's Ink, adapted by James Graham from his 2017 West End play, explores the birth of British tabloid culture. Jack O'Connell plays former Sun editor Larry Lamb, while Guy Pearce portrays Rupert Murdoch, who buys the failing paper from The Mirror in 1969. The duo turned it into the world's best-selling newspaper, introducing controversial features like Page 3 glamour models. Claire Foy co-stars as a fictional Fleet Street reporter. Boyle said he 'felt compelled and privileged' to make the film because The Sun 'challenged the establishment and remade our world for the modern era.' O'Connell, fresh off roles in Sinners and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, continues his streak of intense performances.
Pattinson's Primetime and Oasis Doc
Robert Pattinson stars in Primetime, a thriller about real-life TV host Chris Hansen, known for Dateline's To Catch a Predator. The film dramatizes the show's sting operations, where Hansen confronted potential predators. Written and directed by documentarian Lance Oppenheim in his narrative debut, it also stars Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, and Anna Faris. Oppenheim said Hansen 'pioneered a spectacle of punishment – the moment moral outrage became must-see TV.' Hansen has not seen the film, having walked out of a screening after refusing to sign an NDA, though his company has bought ads before every showing.
Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger documents the Gallagher brothers' reunion tour, their first shows since Noel quit in 2009 after a backstage fight. The film captures their reconciliation on camera, first joint interviews in 25 years, and never-before-seen rehearsals. Written by Steven Knight and directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, it offers fans a behind-the-scenes look at the band's Live '25 tour and hints at 2027 gigs.
McDonagh, Herzog, and More Premieres
Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine follows his Oscar-nominated The Banshees of Inisherin. Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich play CIA agents sent to Easter Island before the 1973 Chilean coup, with Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey, and Tom Waits in support. The trailer promises McDonagh's trademark dark comedy.
Werner Herzog's Bucking Fastard stars real-life twins Rooney and Kate Mara as sisters who dig a tunnel through a mountain in search of an imaginary land. Based on Freda and Greta Chaplin, it also features Orlando Bloom and Domhnall Gleeson. Herzog declined a Cannes premiere without a competition slot; at Venice, it competes after he received an honorary Golden Lion last year.
Cruz-Bardem Thriller and Netflix's Possible Love
Bunker pairs real-life couple Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem as a wife and husband whose marriage is tested when he builds a survivalist bunker for a tech billionaire. Written by Florian Zeller, it co-stars Stephen Graham, Paul Dano, and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Zeller said it tackles 'fear of the future, ecological threats, rising social inequality and rampant individualism.'
Place to Be features Ellen Burstyn and Taika Waititi as an unlikely duo who bond over a lost racing pigeon. Directed by Kornél Mundruczó, it also stars Pamela Anderson and Murray Bartlett. Burstyn will receive an honorary Golden Lion at this festival.
Netflix-backed Possible Love, from Korean director Lee Chang-dong, follows two married couples grappling with hidden desires amid layoffs and government crackdowns. Starring Cho Yeo-jeong and Jeon Do-yeon, it has been selected as South Korea's Oscar entry for best international feature. Lee's 2018 film Burning was the first Korean film to make the Oscars' foreign-language shortlist.
The 83rd Venice Film Festival runs from September 2 to September 12, 2026.
