(Rome) The Venice Film Festival, which this year marks its 80e edition, announced the replacement of its opening film by Commander by Italian director Edoardo De Angelis, against the backdrop of the historic strike in Hollywood.
The festival, which will take place from August 30 to September 9, had indicated at the beginning of July that it would be inaugurated by Challengers, a film by Luca Guadagnino with Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist. But this feature film “will not participate in the festival following the decisions taken by the production”, announced the Mostra in a press release, without further details.
This change comes as American actors and screenwriters on July 14 began a social movement not seen since 1960 in Hollywood, which is paralyzing American film and television production.
The players are demanding a revaluation of their “residual” remuneration, which plummeted with the advent of the streamingand safeguards against cloning their voice and image without consent, fearing to be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI).
Inspired by a True Story, Commander retraces the rescue of 26 Belgian castaways during the Second World War by a submarine captain played by Pierfrancesco Favino.
It will be screened on Wednesday August 30 in world preview in the great hall of the Cinema Palace on the Lido of Venice, during the opening night of the dean of festivals.
Edoardo De Angelis, 44, notably directed indivisible (2016) and the series The lying life of adultsstreaming on Netflix.
The festival will end with the screening on September 9 following the award ceremony for the film. La sociedad de la nieve by Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona, the organizers said on Saturday.