Overview

• Premiering out of competition on the Lido, the Amazon MGM Studios drama drew roughly a six-minute standing ovation, with an emotional Julia Roberts greeting the crowd.
• At a tense press conference, Roberts rejected claims the film weakens feminist gains, saying it portrays characters in a moment of crisis and aims to get people talking.
• Luca Guadagnino said the opening credits intentionally evoke Woody Allen’s films, calling it an artistic nod that raises questions about engaging with an artist’s work.
• Early reactions from Venice were divided, praising performances by Roberts, Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri and the Reznor/Ross score, while critiquing thematic unevenness.
• The film opens the New York Film Festival on September 26 before U.S. theatrical rollout begins October 10 in New York and Los Angeles and expands wide October 17.