Summer blockbuster season is now on the downward slope, and the festival season is on the horizon and we’ve already started getting ready for what will be an onslaught of eagerly anticipated films. Just last month, we laid out our predictions for the Venice Film Festival ahead of the formal announcement coming from organizers this month. But it looks like we locked down at least one movie that was already considered a strong contender to appear.
Attending the Umbria Film Festival this weekend, director Terry Gilliam reportedly told Italian film site Mister Movie, “I’ll be in competition. But I do not remember what day!” when asked about “The Zero Theorem” and Venice. But we’d probably say that’s about right. The picture has long been buzzed as a no-brainer entry to the Lido, and while you might be a bit surprised to see what looks like a straight up genre effort earning a competition slot, Gilliam is a Venice veteran. He won the Silver Lion for “The Fisher King” and presented his fairy tale flop “The Brothers Grimm” at the fest as well. So it looks like everything is adding up.
Meanwhile, the site also claims that an anonymous source has tipped them that the rather under-the-radar, Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy-starring, relationship drama double bill “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His” and “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Hers” will also play in competition. But as we noted in our prediction piece, it’s relatively rare for first-time American helmers to debut in competition at Venice, but the starry cast—Chastain, McAvoy, Viola Davis, Isabelle Huppert, Ciaran Hinds, William Hurt—could be an attraction, and perhaps an out-of-competition bow isn’t out of the question.
We’ll soon find out. The Venice Film Festival runs from August 28th-September 7th. Alfonso Cuarón‘s “Gravity” will open the fest.
