Venice Film Festival To Open With Daniele Luchetti’s ‘Lacci’

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorPret-ty, pret-ty, pret-ty….surprising.FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange, did its best to stand out in its first time advertising at the Super Bowl by tapping an actor who has never appeared in commercials before: Larry David.David, best known for his contrarian, curmudgeonly humor, took to the Super Bowl stage for FTX in a minute-long commercial that showed him turning down some of history’s best ideas, era by era. In various historical mini-dramas, David dismisses the wheel, the fork, the toilet, the electric light bulb, the Walkman and even the notion of American independence (because “even the stupid ones” will get a chance to influence major political decisions.)He isn’t much for cryptocurrency, either.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterKelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg have been named the hosts of NBC’s upcoming singing competition “American Song Contest,” the U.S. adaptation of “Eurovision Song Contest.”Per NBC, “Based on the worldwide phenomenon ‘Eurovision Song Contest,’ organized for 65 years by the European Broadcasting Union and watched by 200 million viewers annually, this amazing musical spectacular combines the competitive spirit of rooting for your favorite sports team with the joy of watching a live performance of an original song.”“American Song Contest” will feature live new music performances – representing all 50 states, five U.S.

Kanye West, 41, didn’t skip out on his Sunday Service even with the Super Bowl going and he brought his four kids North West, Saint West, Chicago West and Psalm West along with him after he had accused Kim Kardashian of keeping them from him. The “Gold Digger” were escorted to their father’s weekly service. They dressed in their dad’s all-black dress code but each added some personality to their outfits.

Surprise! Kanye “Ye” West appeared in a McDonald’s Super Bowl Spot. In the commercial, hungry customers pull up to the drive thru wanting to place an order. In one of the most relatable moments, after being asked “Can I take your order,” everyone lets out an extended “Uhhhhhh.”

Super Bowl using Bitcoin worth £1million.The Canadian is a massive NFL fan and hasn't held back in betting on the clash between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.According to reports, he has placed a staggering £1million in Bitcoin on a trio of bets.He's backing the Los Angeles Rams to win and for Odell Beckham Jr to deliver a big performance, reports MirrorSport.Drake shared images of his bet on Instagram and stated: “All bets are in on the family,” in reference to his friendship with Beckham Jr.Beckham Jr responded by commenting "it's time" as he looks to deliver for both the Rams and Drake on the biggest stage.Drake wagered 500,000 Canadian Dollars on the Rams to win the game against the Cincinnati Bengals.He then also placed a bet of the same amount on Beckham to score a touchdown at anytime, and the same again on Beckham having over 62.5 receiving yards.The total pay-out could reach C$2.9 million, according to the valuation of Bitcoin by online betting app Stake when he placed his bets.Beckham Jr was asked about Drake's bets in the run-up to the game and replied: "Man, I've got to come through for him.Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star football email newsletter!From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox - don't miss a thing.It only takes a matter of seconds.Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit 'subscribe'.And that's it, job done.

Figures are estimate and courtesy of Over The Cap.

The first trailer for Jordan Peele's mysterious horror film Nope was released on Sunday ahead of the Super Bowl.Daniel Kaluuya — who starred in Peele's Oscar-winning debut Get Out — returns to work with the director, while Keke Palmer is also featured in the main cast.Although the trailer intentionally obfuscates what the film is about, it seems to depict a group of Black ranchers who are confronted with a sinister force up in the clouds which appears to harm the population of a nearby town. Coming soon: Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer star in the first trailer for Jordan Peele's upcoming horror film Nope, which offers few details about the movie's plotThe clip opens with footage from an early cinema experiment from the late nineteenth century Eadweard Muybridge.His photos of a Black jockey riding a horse were, which were taken with a line of several cameras, were later combined to great a two-second motion picture.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorIn an introduction to the Venice Film Festival lineup announced this morning in Rome, Alberto Barbera, commented, “The winter of our dismay turned into a springtime of anxiety, and then slipped slowly into a summer marked by uncertainty and fear over a fraught future.” The fest’s director later spoke with Deadline about the process — and challenges — leading up to today’s unveiling of what’s to come at the first major international film gathering since the coronavirus pandemic began; as well as a greatly-reduced presence of flashy Hollywood movies which have become a staple of the Lido event.

Lacci – you can see the full line-up below.While the coronavirus pandemic has cancelled many major festivals such as Cannes and Telluride, it was announced back in May that the 77th Venice Film Festival would move ahead as planned. It will be the world’s first major film festival since Sundance and Berlin at the start of the year.Set to take place September 2-12, the festival will be split into three sections: Venezia 77 (aka the main competition), Out of Competition, and Horizons.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorRefresh for latest…: The Venice Film Festival is unveiling its lineup for the 77th edition this morning in Rome. This will be the first major international film event to take place physically since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and will be held from September 2-12 on the Lido.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe Venice Film Festival is unveiling the lineup of its 77th edition, which, barring complications, will be the first major international film event to hold a physical edition following the coronavirus crisis.Previously announced titles include Chloé Zhao’s road drama “Nomadland,” starring Frances McDormand, which will screen at Venice and Toronto simultaneously on Sept. 11, in both cases preceded by virtual introductions. The out-of-competition opener will be Italian director Daniele Luchetti’s anatomy of a marriage drama “Lacci” (“The Ties”) (pictured) starring Alba Rohrwacher (“Happy as Lazzaro”) and Luigi Lo Cascio (“The Traitor”) as the couple at the film’s center.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorOn their first Friday back to operations, Chinese cinemas did roughly $2.92M worth of box office business — more than tripling Thursday’s figures and making a sizable jump from Monday when theaters opened to about $501K in low-risk areas across the country. There was growth throughout the midweeks which is encouraging since less than 40% of the market is up and running, with auditorium capacity limited to 30%.Friday’s spike is largely down to new Hollywood films being released today — each fronted by stars who are immensely popular in the Middle Kingdom.

Manori Ravindran International EditorThe Venice Film Festival is set to open with Daniele Luchetti’s “Lacci.”The Naples-set film, which will play out of competition, stars Alba Rohrwacher, Luigi Lo Cascio, Laura Morante, Silvio Orlando, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Adriano Giannini and Linda Caridi.“Recently, we have all feared that cinema might become extinct,” said Luchetti. “Yet during the quarantine it gave us comfort, like a light gleaming in a cavern.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorWith some of China’s cinemas reopened this week in low-risk areas, and as tomorrow sees Beijing get partially back to business as well, box office has continued to rise. As of 11:30PM tonight local time, Thursday’s takings hit $940K, according to ticketing service Maoyan.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorEXCLUSIVE: Germany-based production and distribution powerhouse Constantin Film has renewed the contracts of long-serving CEO Martin Moszkowicz and Management Board member Oliver Berben early, and for an extended period of several years. The Supervisory Board of the Resident Evil producer extended Moszkowicz’s contract this month, taking effect from January 1, 2021.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorAs expected, Chinese authorities have given the go-ahead for cinemas in Beijing to reopen this coming Friday. That’s also when the first new Hollywood titles will hit the market, including Dolittle and Bloodshot.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorThe full lineup for the 77th Venice Film Festival will be announced on July 28. In the meantime, organizers have set the roster of restored titles that will make up the Venice Classics section which, unconventionally this year, will be hosted as part of the Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna, Italy from August 25-31 in a show of solidarity between the events.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItalian A-listers Alba Rohrwacher (“Happy as Lazzaro”), Toni Servillo (“The Great Beauty”) and Silvio Orlando (“The Young Pope”) are set to star in a high-profile prison drama to be directed by Leonardo di Costanzo, who is best known for social-realist drama “The Intruder.”Di Costanzo crossed over from documentary to feature filmmaking first with “The Interval,” which went to Venice, and then with “The Intruder” which in 2017 made a splash in Cannes.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorAs Chinese cinemas began the reopening process today, box office crossed $472K by 8PM local. Maoyan’s real-time ticketing platform reports that play is led by new entry A First Farewell at around $184K.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorEXCLUSIVE: Wasting no time as cinemas prepare to reopen beginning next week in most of China, a first batch of titles due for release has been identified. Universal’s Dolittle has been granted a July 24 date while we understand that Sony’s Bloodshot, handled locally by Bona Film, will also go out that same day.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorCreated by Cannes chief Thierry Fremaux and filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier, the Lumiere Festival is due to take place in Lyon from October 10-18. Largely a retrospective event with hundreds of restored films, thematic strands and uncovered gems, it will also feature some titles officially selected for the Cannes Classics 2020 edition which was unable to be held owing to the coronavirus crisis.