Even by Venice’s lofty standards, this is a tantalizing and eye-catching 2025 lineup that the festival revealed Tuesday. The star-power may be at an all-time high, from George Clooney to Julia Roberts, Idris Elba to Jacob Elordi, Cate Blanchett to Emily Blunt, and Tony Leung to Dwayne Johnson.
Venice chief Alberto Barbera has once again pulled in an impressive mix of Hollywood and arthouse fare, and there’s a bumper crop of fascinating-sounding documentaries. He has spoken previously about the lack of movies from traditional studios this year (an ongoing problem for the sector), but there is a lively presence from the streamers and indie studios.
We checked in with Barbera to discuss the powerhouse lineup, Oscar hopefuls, thorny choices and why so many filmmakers seem to be making longer movies at the moment.
Alberto Barbera
Getty Images
DEADLINE: How are you feeling about the lineup?
ALBERTO BARBERA: I’m very happy because I succeeded in getting most of the films that I wanted. 95% of them. It’s a really varied lineup. Big films, big names and great filmmakers, but also a lot of discoveries, a lot of surprises, a lot a lot of excellent documentaries. The documentaries this year are really very, very strong.
DEADLINE: The documentaries are strong every year but even by Venice’s standards, this looks a bumper crop. I loved the footage you showed at the presser of the documentary about critic and writer Goffredo Fofi, and we just debuted the stunning trailer for Gianfranco Rosi’s new film Below the Clouds…
BARBERA: Yes, we hope Franco Maresca will be able to finish the film about Fofi. It’s not always easy for him to finish them. We’ll show another 15-20 minutes of the film in Venice. As for Rosi’s film, it’s perhaps even more impressive than his previous films, which is saying something.
DEADLINE: The Lido is going to be absolutely crammed full of stars this year. We assume most will be attending. Are there any you know who aren’t able to make it?
BARBERA: Yes, we’re expecting the majority to attend. There are always one or two who can’t make it due to filming commitments or other reasons. Jason Momoa is filming Dune, for example, so it will be difficult for him to come. Oscar Isaac is in two projects at the festival and can make it for one but maybe not the other…
DEADLINE: Will there be any film additions to the lineup?
BARBERA: No. It would be very hard to find slots now.
DEADLINE: You mentioned at the presser that Amazon and Luca Guadagnino decided against After the Hunt being in Competition. Why was that?
BARBERA: Yes, they were clear on that from the beginning. Amazon believes a lot in the film and it’ll certainly be an Oscar player for them, but they weren’t concerned about competing for the Golden Lion. Luca was OK with that decision. I’m sure they’ll position Julia Roberts for U.S. awards and invest in the campaign.
DEADLINE: Did you want it in Competition?
BARBERA: It’s a very strong film, you’ll see. It could easily have been in Competition, yes.
Andrew Garfield and Julia Roberts in ‘After the Hunt’
Amazon MGM Studios
DEADLINE: Are there other movies that stand out to you for their Oscar chances?
BARBERA: There are a lot of great performances and many films that will contend, you’ll see. Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson are fantastic in The Smashing Machine, for example. The [Kathryn] Bigelow is another amazing film. Guillermo’s [del Toro] film will probably be in contention…
DEADLINE: Bigelow’s film is about a group of White House officials dealing with an incoming missile attack on the U.S…
BARBERA: Yes, an atomic threat. It’s very contemporary and timely.
DEADLINE: What will we learn from Mike Figgis’ behind-the-scenes documentary about Megalopolis? Do we see much chaos?
BARBERA: It’s really a behind-the-scenes film, less of a documentary. It really shows how Coppola directed the film. It’s a good film. Of course there’s an element of chaos.
DEADLINE: Can you mark our cards for any gems or surprises in the lineup?
BARBERA: The opening film by Paolo Sorrentino will be a surprise. It’s very different from the last movies he has made. It reminds me more of one of his early films, The Consequences of Love. It’s a very original story. I don’t want to say too much because it deserves to be discovered, but it’s very stylish.
‘La Grazia‘
Venice
DEADLINE: You said at the presser that Kaouther Ben Hania’s film The Voice of Hind Rajab is one of the most impressive…
BARBERA: Yes, it’s one of the most emotional. It’s almost unbearable. It’s the story of a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who is trapped in a vehicle after it is shelled by Israeli forces. Her family are all killed. Kaouther was able to use the original calls made by the girl to the emergency services who were trying to rescue her. It’s such a sensitive topic as we know, we hope there won’t be a polemic made of it. It’s a very human and touching film.
DEADLINE: At the presser, you noted that a lot of the films are in the 2-hour-30-minute range and that this longer running time has become a trend. It’s frustrating as a viewer, presumably for financiers too. Why do you think that has become more common?
BARBERA: Yes, at the end of our selection screenings we often say, “That was good, but would have been even better if it had been 10-20 minutes shorter.” As for why it’s happening, it may be some kind of reaction to TV. Filmmakers may be more accustomed to watching longer and successful TV series so feel the need to replicate that longer narrative. They may also feel the pressure to make their film an “event,” to make it “more than a series,” a “proper big-screen experience” which they equate with a longer running time.
DEADLINE: At the presser, you also mentioned a dispute between Julian Schnabel and the financiers of In the Hand of Dante. What was that about?
BARBERA: I believe he signed a contract saying he’d deliver a movie that was two hours long and in color but in the end it was two and half hours and partly in black and white. So they spent at least a year in back-and-forth over the final version. Schnabel fought for his version and that’s the one that’ll be shown in Venice. I believe they reached an agreement.
DEADLINE: There’s no Paul Thomas Anderson in the lineup…
BARBERA: I couldn’t get a real response from Warner Bros as to why that was. Paul’s last couple of movies at least haven’t been at festivals…
DEADLINE: There’s been speculation that Warners may have felt bruised after the experience of Joker 2 so didn’t want to go down the Lido route again…
BARBERA: I don’t think so. It’s probably a combination of factors. I don’t think Paul loves to travel with his movies. Perhaps the Joker experience was a factor, I don’t know. You’ll need to ask Warners. It’s true that bringing it here would have been very expensive.
DEADLINE: The Netflix movie Ballad of A Small Player could have been a nice addition…
BARBERA: We saw the movie. But four Netflix films in Competition might have been a bit much…
DEADLINE: Alexander Payne is head of your jury. Was there any hesitation over the choice given the allegations made against him by Rose McGowan five years ago?
BARBERA: No. We understood this situation to have been resolved. The situation didn’t develop past the allegation and Alexander made his case clear at the time.
DEADLINE: Does the festival have a vetting committee for these types of situations or does the decision fall only on you?
BARBERA: We don’t. I spoke to Alexander and he said there was nothing to worry about, that the allegations weren’t true.
DEADLINE: And now comes the scheduling of all these movies…
BARBERA: Yes, it’s a nightmare. My least favorite part of the job. It starts tomorrow. There will be plenty of discussion, polemic and requests. Some of the movie slots have been set with the studios but most haven’t.
