Sawt Falasteen - Venice gets surge of star power, from Lady Gaga to Pitt, Clooney

With 21 films vying for the top Golden Lion prize, the 81st edition of the prestigious festival kicks off Wednesday, with Lady Gaga, Daniel Craig and Brad Pitt expected on the red carpet during the 10-day affair.

The dazzle is welcome after Hollywood strikes last year kept most studio films and their A-lister stars away from the world's longest-running festival, known as "La Mostra".

In the spotlight, but out of competition, is "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice", the long anticipated sequel to Tim Burton's 1988 cult classic that opens the festival Wednesday, with Michael Keaton, Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder reprising their original roles.

High-profile contenders in the main competition include Todd Phillips' "Joker: Folie a Deux", the sequel to the US director's 2019 Venice-winning film that sees Joaquin Phoenix paired with Lady Gaga, and "Queer" from Italy's Luca Guadagnino starring Craig, based on the William Burroughs novel set in 1940s Mexico City.

Jolie headlines "Maria", a Maria Callas biopic from Chile's Pablo Larrain who returns to Venice following his Diana drama "Spencer" in 2021, while Nicole Kidman and Antonio Banderas star in erotic thriller "Babygirl" from Dutch director Halina Reijn.

To keep the drama on the screen -- and avoid it behind-the-scenes -- "Maria" will premiere on the festival's first full day Thursday, while "Wolfs" starring Jolie's ex, Brad Pitt, will screen out of competition on Sunday.

Joining Pitt in the Apple TV+ film from "Spider-Man" director Jon Watts is Clooney, with the actors playing rival professional fixers in the action comedy.

The main competition also includes the first full-length film in English for Venice regular, Spain's Pedro Almodovar -- "The Room Next Door" with Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore -- while "The Order" from Australian director Justin Kurzel sees Jude Law playing an FBI agent investigating a terror ring in the Pacific Northwest.

- Weaver, Costner and Kline -

Wednesday's opening night will feature the introduction of the international jury led by its president, French actress Isabelle Huppert, and the awarding of an honorary Golden Lion for lifetime achievement to "Alien" star, US actress Sigourney Weaver.

Also having its out-of-competition debut is the second chapter of Kevin Costner's "Horizon: An American Saga". The first part of the actor-director's Western epic premiered at Cannes in May.

Running until September 7, the international festival has increasingly become known for showcasing films that go on to Oscar glory for its directors and cast members, including former Golden Lion winners "Poor Things", "Nomadland" and "Joker".

Unlike at the rival Cannes Film Festival, Venice accepts films produced by streaming services in competition, especially Netflix, which has found great success launching titles such as "Maestro" and "Roma" at the Italian festival.

Besides "Wolfs", Apple TV+ also produced "Disclaimer", a thriller series starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline and Sacha Baron Cohen which is also having its premiere in Venice.

O.Mousa--SF-PST