When we floated the question of what might open the 2014 Venice Film Festival yesterday, the majority of our readers were spot on. While some guessed Inherent Vice, Interstellar, or Knight of Cups, it is indeed Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman. Marking two years in a row for Emmanuel Lubezki to open the festival (after last year’s Gravity), the film will screen on August 27th in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema.
Led by Michael Keaton, we recently saw the compelling teaser and even provided a a few exclusive details on what to expect for the film that follows an actor — famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself. This will mostly likely be just the first stop following possible TIFF and Telluride showings for the film that’s shaping up to be one of the promising of the fall.
Also starring Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone and Naomi Watts, Birdman opens on October 17th.
Are you looking forward to Birdman?