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Early Tuesday morning, the Venice Film Festival announced the lineup for its 82nd edition featuring a range of films set to make waves internationally the rest of the year. While many of the competition titles were predicted by IndieWire and others ahead of the official announcement on the morning of July 22, the overall list of films and filmmakers in attendance still offered plenty of surprises.

Below, we dive into what stood out about the lineup, whether it was which films and studios are not participating this time around, to the ways in which this group of Venice entries differs from the ones from last year.

No Warner Bros. Pictures

While there are other studios that are not taking some expected features to Venice, like Focus Features with “Hamnet” or Sony with “Klara and the Sun,” the studio most noticeably absent from any part of the Venice schedule is Warner Bros.

Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera has unveiled a rich mix of buzzy movies with big stars — as well as smaller titles with awards potential — that will be vying for the Golden Lion during the event’s upcoming 82nd edition.

Hotly anticipated new works from Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo Del Toro, Noah Baumbach, Mona Fastvold, Luca Guadagnino, Yorgos Lanthimos, Olivier Assayas, Park Chan-wook, Benny Safdie and more are set for Lido launches, making for a cornucopia of cinematic offerings.

As anticipated by Variety, big-name films premiering at Venice include Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine” from A24, featuring Dwayne Johnson as two-time UFC heavyweight champ Mark Kerr and Emily Blunt as his wife Dawn; Focus Features’ “Bugonia,” the latest collaboration between Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, who were last at the fest in 2023 with the Oscar-winning “Poor Things”; and Luca Guadagnino’s psychological drama “After the Hunt” starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri.

Netflix has acquired “I Don’t Know Who You Are Anymore,” a spec script penned by writer Matt Lawton. Plot details for the project remain under wraps, but it’s described as “Palm Springs” meets “The Family Man.”

Lawton was most recently a co-executive producer on Fox’s animated sitcom “The Great North,” which is on its fifth season. The series, which stars Nick Offerman, Jenny Slate and Will Forte, follows a single father named Beef Tobin and his four children in the fictional town of Lone Moose, Alaska.

Prior to “The Great North,” Lawton served as a consulting producer on NBC’s America Ferrera-led series “Superstore,” which ran for six seasons from 2015 to 2021. He spent the previous three years as supervising producer on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” the police procedural sitcom starring Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher and Terry Crews, which aired for five seasons on Fox before its cancellation, and an...

Like it or not, Adam Sandler is among the most successful movie stars of the last three decades and has remarkably been able to make films that have resonated with multiple generations of comedy fans. While many former alumni of “Saturday Night Live” struggled to develop film careers, Sandler developed his own brand of ridiculous comedies, which led to the development of Happy Madison Productions. Despite the scathing reviews that many of his films earned from critics during their initial release windows, several have grown cult fandom from those who grew up with them. Sandler was also ahead of the game when it came to the profitability of streaming, as he was among the first Hollywood stars to sign a deal with Netflix.

Sandler has certainly been known to phone it in, as films like “Grown Ups,” “Little Nicky,” “Blended,” and “Jack and Jill” rank among the worst comedies of the 21st century.

Colman Domingo has been announced as the host of amfAR Venezia, the Foundation for AIDS Research’s gala at the Venice Film Festival. The black-tie event, taking place Aug. 31 at Arsenale, will feature cocktails, dinner and a live auction of contemporary artworks and exclusive experiences.

“We are deeply grateful to Colman Domingo for his commitment to our cause and for recognizing the importance of amfAR’s work,” amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost said in a statement Monday. “There are still 40 million people living with HIV worldwide, and fundraising events like amfAR Venezia that support our efforts to find a cure for HIV remain as critically important as ever.”

Recent honorees of amfAR Venezia have included Antonio Banderas, Richard Gere, Ava DuVernay, Ferzan Ozpetek, Achille Boroli and Mohammed Al Turki.

This year’s presenting sponsor is World Gold Council. San Clemente Palace Kempinski is the official hotel partner.

The 82nd edition...

Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Emma Stone are among the rich roster of stars featured in hotly anticipated new movies expected to be launching from Venice Film Festival.

With one month to go until the Lido lineup is unveiled, Venice’s artistic director Alberto Barbera is racing against the clock to assemble the festival’s 82nd edition, slots for which are still in flux. But what’s clear is that there will be no shortage of the type of buzzy titles that make Venice a prime awards season driver.

Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine,” featuring Dwayne Johnson as two-time UFC heavyweight champ Mark Kerr and Emily Blunt as his wife Dawn; Luca Guadagnino’s #MeToo-themed thriller “After the Hunt” starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri; and “Bugonia,” the latest collaboration between Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone — who were last...

Netflix is doubling down on Adam Sandler movies in 2025. Roughly four months after Happy Gilmore 2 drops onto the streamer, fans of the comedic actor will be able to watch the comedy-drama Jay Kelly, in which Sandler stars alongside George Clooney.

Per Deadline, Netflix has announced the release dates for Jay Kelly. The coming-of-age comedy-drama by writer-director Noah Baumbach will have a limited run in theaters beginning Nov. 14, 2025, before being added to the streaming service a couple of weeks later on Dec. 5, 2025. Plot details remain largely under wraps for Jay Kelly, with the logline merely stating, "Everybody knows Jay Kelly, but Jay Kelly doesn't know himself." Netflix has unveiled a first-look still of Clooney as the title character, which can be viewed below.

Image via Netflix

Described as a "heartbreaking comedy," Jay Kelly marks Baumbach's fourth outing with Netflix, following 2017's The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), 2019's Marriage Story,...

Jay Kelly, Noah Baumbach’s new film starring George Clooney, will head into cinemas before debuting on Netflix next December.

Back in 2024, we reported that writer-director Noah Baumbach was working with Netflix for the fourth time with his new film Jay Kelly. There hasn’t been much to report on the project since then, but Netflix has now officially announced when we can expect Jay to hit our screens.

The movie, clearly an Oscar hopeful, will head into US and UK cinemas on 14th November for a short run before Jay Kelly debuts on Netflix on 5th December.

The movie stars George Clooney as the title character and Netflix has also released a first still from the film with Clooney deep in thought, which you can see at the top of this page. Plot details are still scarce but according to Deadline, the film’s tagline suggests that everyone knows Jay Kelly,...

Cannes may be right around the corner, but the last few weeks have seen several highly anticipated prestige films set their release date stakes in the ground. You can now add another title to that list, Noah Baumbach’s “Jay Kelly.” The George Clooney and Adam Sandler-starring dramedy will arrive in theaters on November 14 and then stream on Netflix beginning on December 5.

Read More: Cannes 2025: New Films from Ari Aster, Joachim Trier, Wes Anderson, Scarlett Johansson

The cast also includes Billy Crudup, Laura Dern, Grace Edwards, Stacy Keach, Riley Keough, Emily Mortimer, Patrick Wilson, Nicôle Lecky, Thaddea Graham, Jim Broadbent, Eve Hewson, Alba Rohrwacher, Lenny Henry, Josh Hamilton, and Greta Gerwig.

Continue reading Noah Baumbach’s ‘Jay Kelly’ Gives George Clooney & Adam Sandler An Awards Spotlight This November at The Playlist.

Noah Baumbach is getting back in the awards race, and he’s bringing a star-studded cast including George Clooney and Adam Sandler.

Netflix has announced that Baumbach’s upcoming feature “Jay Kelly” will open in theaters on November 14 before hitting the streaming service on December 5. The announcement was accompanied by a photo of Clooney, who plays the title character, walking past a poster of himself.

“Jay Kelly” appears to be a return to the familiar territory of middle aged neuroses for Baumbach, following the apocalyptic ambition of his previous feature, “White Noise.” While little is known about the film’s plot, it is believed to center around the relationship between Clooney’s eponymous character and a longtime friend played by Sandler. A cryptic official synopsis reads “Everybody knows Jay Kelly, but Jay Kelly doesn’t know himself.”

In addition to Clooney and Sandler, “Jay Kelly” stars Billy Crudup, Laura Dern,...

Happy Gilmore star Adam Sandler could be all set for Oscar glory with his new movie. Sadly, no, it’s not Happy Gilmore 2. The beloved actor and comedian will reunite with Netflix once again for an upcoming coming-of-age comedy-drama, with a source who's seen the movie revealing that, not only will the streamer campaign hard for Sandler to be considered by the Academy, but that could even win a coveted golden statue.

Titled Jay Kelly, the movie is being helmed by Academy Award nominee and Marriage Story director Noah Baumbach, and could be described as a coming-of-middle-age comedy as it follows friends, played by Sandler and George Clooney, who rediscover their youthful spirit during a chaotic reunion.

Now, buzz from an early screening (via World of Reel) has emerged, with “industry sources, journalists, and test reports” stating that Sandler steals the show in Jay Kelly, with the Billy Madison star delivering a career-best performance.

James Bond is officially in new hands. Amy Pascal and David Heyman have closed their deals to steer the 007 franchise for Amazon MGM Studios now that Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have handed over creative control of the iconic spy.

For what will be the studio’s upcoming James Bond film, which would be 007’s 26 entry and feature the 7th Bond, Pascal will produce through her Pascal Pictures banner, and Heyman will produce via Heyday Films.

“We are approaching every creative decision with James Bond, which Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have so masterfully steered, with the greatest sense of responsibility,” said Amazon MGM Studios’ Head of Film, Courtenay Valenti. “Part of an elite group of producers who have developed and managed massive film franchises to box office success and critical acclaim, Amy Pascal and David Heyman are two of the most accomplished, experienced, and respected film producers in our industry.

Patrick Wilson has joined the cast of Amy Adams and Javier Bardem for Apple TV’s ‘Cape Fear’ series adaptation.

The 10-episode series follows a happily married couple whose lives are turned upside down when a notorious killer from their past gets out of prison. Adams will play the wife, Anna, while Bardem will play the killer. Details of Wilson’s character have yet to be disclosed.

Based on the John D. MacDonald novel ‘The Executioners,’ as well as Gregory Peck and Scorsese’s films, from 1962 and 1991, the new series comes from creator and showrunner Nick Antosca with Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg set to executive produce.

Also in news – Jack O’Connell set for ‘Godzilla x Kong’ sequel

The series has been described as a “tense, Hitchcockian thriller” and an “examination of America’s obsession with true crime in the 21st century.”

The latest adaptation comes from UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group,...

Patrick Wilson is joining Amy Adams and Javier Bardem in the upcoming Apple TV+ “Cape Fear” adaptation.

From creator and showrunner Nick Antosca and executive producers Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, “Cape Fear” follows a happily married couple whose lives are turned upside down when a notorious killer from their past gets out of prison. Adams will play the wife, Anna, while Bardem will play the killer. Wilson’s role has yet to be officially disclosed.

Apple describes the 10-episode series as a “tense, Hitchcockian thriller” and an “examination of America’s obsession with true crime in the 21st century.”

“Cape Fear” is based on the John D. MacDonald novel “The Executioners,” as well as Gregory Peck and Scorsese’s films, from 1962 and 1991, respectively. The new series hails from UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Spielberg’s Amblin Television. Adass and Bardem are also executive producers on the project,...

The new Noah Baumbach directed movie at Netflix has been titled Jay Kelly.

In addition the movie will drop on the streamer in the fall. Exact date to be announced in the future.

The announcement is part of several this morning following the streamer’s Next on Netflix presser yesterday.

As Deadline first told you, Baumbach’s latest stars a murderers’ row including George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Grace Edwards, Stacy Keach, Riley Keough, Emily Mortimer, Patrick Wilson, Jim Broadbent, Eve Hewson and Alba Rohrwacher. Pic’s producers are David Heyman, Amy Pascal and Baumbach.

Baumbach and Emily Mortimer co-wrote Jay Kelly which is simply billed as a “heartbreaking comedy.”

Baumbach has an exclusive deal with the studio and previously directed The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) — which also starred Sandler. That movie world premiered at Cannes. Baumbach’s Marriage Story was nominated for six Oscars,...

Tudum! Netflix has unveiled its wide-ranging 2025 film slate. During a news-packed “Next on Netflix” presentation featuring appearances from celebrity guests Tina Fey, Ben Affleck, John Mulaney and the Duffer brothers, the streamer teed up a packed year of movies.

Netflix has already released the Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz starrer “Back in Action” and the Oscar-nominated “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” this year. With its 2024 release “Emilia Pérez” nabbing 13 Academy Award nominations, the pressure is on for film chief Dan Lin to find the streamer’s next big critical hit while delivering sequels to audience favorites like “The Old Guard.”

Among the buzziest titles of the year are Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” Rian Johnson’s next “Knives Out” film “Wake Up Dead Man” and Noah Baumbach’s newly-titled “Jay Kelly” with George Clooney.

On the documentary side, Netflix also revealed films about Eddie Murphy, the Manson murders, Hurricane Katrina,...

Netflix previewed their 2025 film slate at a splashy event in Los Angeles. And as part of this Next on Netflix event, they revealed some specific release dates, along with the more general time that some of the biggest titles of the year will come out. One thing is certain – fall is going to be jam-packed.

In addition to Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” in November, “Fall 2025” is the release date for:

Noah Baumbach’s “Jay Kelly” starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler Joe Carnahan’s “Rip” led by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. An untitled Kathryn Bigelow thriller with Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson and Greta Lee. The third “Knives Out” whodunnit “Wake Up Dead Man” — Daniel Craig returns, this time joined by Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin and Mila Kunis. And “The Woman in Cabin 10,” based on the bestselling novel by Ruth Ware. Keira Knightley and Guy Peace star.

Netflix unveiled their feature slate for this year, dating a handful of titles, along with some first look photos and teasers to come this morning. For all the headlines that they’ve cut back on their feature slate, what’s clear below is that the streamer continues to commit to event films.

Among those pic’s receiving premiere dates, either specific or general, are the Stephen Chbosky directed comedy Nonnas starring Lorraine Bracco, Linda Cardellini and Drea de Matteo, the long-awaited Charlize Theron Skydance action sequel The Old Guard 2, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, the Gareth Evans action thriller Havoc, Fear Street: Prom Queen, A Merry Little Ex-Mas, Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, the Ben Affleck and Matt Damon cop thriller Rip, The Woman in Cabin 10, Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow’s next untitled movie, and the highly anticipated Rian Johnson threequel Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

Exclusive: Laura Dern, Billy Crudup and Riley Keough are set to join George Clooney and Adam Sandler in a new untitled pic from Netflix that Noah Baumbach is directing. Baumbach also co-wrote the script with Emily Mortimer. Baumbach, Amy Pascal and David Heyman are producing.

Plot details are vague at this time other then it being a funny and emotional coming-of-age film about adults. Baumbach has an exclusive deal with the studio having previously directed The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), that also starred Sandler, Marriage Story and most recently White Noise.

Marks a reunion betwen Baumbach and Dern who worked together on A Marriage Story, which won Dern her fist Oscar for best supporting actress.

Dern was recently seen opposite Hugh Jackman in the Sony Classics pic The Son. She can be seen in the highly-anticipated Apple Series Palm Royale opposite Kristen Wiig and Rickey Martin.

Crudup is an...