Inside the Fight to Save Venice as Strikes Continue to Impact the Fall Festival and Awards Season
variety.comNick Vivarelli International Correspondent The Venice Film Festival has only continued to garner momentum under longtime festival director Alberto Barbera, who in recent years has managed to lure significant star power — from Lady Gaga to Joaquin Phoenix to Timothée Chalamet to Harry Styles — to the Lido.
So imagine the heartbreak and fear last month when — just as Barbera was about to lock in one of his strongest lineups yet — he learned that, as a result of the SAG-AFTRA strike, many movie stars wouldn’t be able to make the trek to Italy this year.
Could Venice even take place without Zendaya, who carried what was supposed to be the opening night movie, Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers,” not to mention Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) and Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”)?
During the first few days after the actors’ strike was called July 13, it seemed to Barbera that its impact on the festival could be devastating, allowing a “real risk” that American movies could be pulled en masse from the Aug.
Read more on variety.com
