(Rome) The Venice Film Festival, which marks its 80th edition this year, has announced the replacement of its opening film with Comandante by Italian director Edoardo DeAngelis, against the backdrop of a historic strike in Hollywood.
The festival, which will run from August 30 to September 9, had indicated in early 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.
Actors are demanding an increase in their “residual” salaries, which have plummeted with the advent of streaming, and safeguards against having their voices and images cloned without consent, fearing they will be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI).
Inspired by a true story, Comandante 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 Indivisibili (2016) and the series The Lie Life of Adults, broadcast on Netflix.
The festival will end with the screening on September 9 after the award ceremony for the film La sociedad de la nieve by Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona, organizers said on Saturday.