Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are making a notable return to the Venice International Film Festival, each presenting their latest films at the 81st edition of the celebrated event. The festival will be held from August 28 to September 7 in Venice, Italy.
Brad Pitt, 60, stars in "Wolfs," directed by Jon Watts, known for "Spider-Man: Homecoming." The film, an action-thriller, sees Pitt reuniting with George Clooney, 63, for the first time since their 2008 film "Burn After Reading." "Wolfs," which will be shown out of competition, features the duo as lone-wolf fixers assigned to the same job. The cast also includes Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, and Richard Kind.
Angelina Jolie, 49, stars in "Maria," a biopic directed by Pablo Larraín. Jolie portrays the legendary opera singer Maria Callas. The film is part of the in-competition lineup and features a strong cast including Kodi Smit-McPhee, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, and Haluk Bilginer.
Other highly anticipated premieres at the festival include "Joker: Folie à Deux" starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" with Michael Keaton and Jenna Ortega, and Nicole Kidman's "Babygirl."
Jolie’s connection with the Venice Film Festival dates back to 2004 when she attended for her animated movie "Shark Tale" with her then 3-year-old son, Maddox. She also joined Pitt in 2007 for his film "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." Pitt has made several appearances at the festival for films like "Burn After Reading," "Blonde," and "Ad Astra."
Pitt and Jolie, who co-starred in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (2005) and "By the Sea" (2015), divorced in 2016 after two years of marriage. Their post-divorce years have involved a high-profile custody battle and disputes over their French vineyard. They share six children: Maddox (22), Pax (20), Zahara (19), Shiloh (18), and 16-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.
Last year's festival experienced lower star attendance due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. However, with the strike now resolved, this year is expected to see a return of many A-listers.
After its premiere in Venice, "Wolfs" is set to hit theaters on September 20. The release date for "Maria" is yet to be announced.
