The Venice lineup may be filled with top-notch talent, but which stars will actually participate?

When the actors’ strike was called earlier this month, many industry eyes turned to the fall festival season and how SAG-AFTRA’s strict rules when it comes to film advertising could limit their star power.

Given that the Venice Film Festival is the first major event on the calendar, the Lido — typically flooded with A-list names each year and where the whoops for the 2022 festival’s Timothée Chalamet and Harry Styles have just died down — would see a significantly reduced red carpet?

For all the concern that the actual lineup of the festival — which has arguably become one of the most important launchpads of Hollywood’s awards season — would be affected, Tuesday’s schedule announcement immediately put that to rest.

While Challengers, Luca Guadagnino’s R-rated drama starring Zendaya, was revealed last week to have been moved from its opening night in Venice as Warner Bros. pushed its release date to 2024 to avoid the strike, festival director Alberto Barbera said in his keynote address that it was “the only film we missed”. He then proceeded to rattle off a list of star-studded features from some of the best directors working today that will be screened, just the sort of enviable lineup the festival has become known for.

Among the world premiere films on the Lido, in and out of competition, is that of David Fincher The killer with Michael Fassbender; Bradley Cooper’s second film as director, Masterin which he plays Leonard Bernstein opposite Carey Mulligan, Poor things from Venice favorite Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone opposite Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael and Margaret Qualley; Priscilla by Sofia Coppola with Jacob Elordi as Elvis Presley; The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Wes Anderson’s feature anthology starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Dev Patel and Ralph Fiennes; AND FerrariMichael Mann’s highly anticipated Ferrari racing biopic, starring Adam Driver, Shailene Woodley and Penélope Cruz.

The list went on: Ava DuVerny’s Originwith Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Connie Nielsen and Jon Bernthal, by Michel Franco Memory with Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard, e In the land of saints and sinners with Liam Neeson and Kerry Condon.

Star power is therefore not lacking, but the question remains: given the strike, which talents will actually be able to participate?

The Hollywood Reporter has already heard of a major title in the main competition which, if the strike is still ongoing like Venice, will premiere without the cast present. There will likely be many more. For example, Netflix, for which Venice has become an important springboard, is leading this year The killer, Master, The Wonderful World of Henry Sugarby Pablo Larrain To count and the nearest festival Snow Society. While the latter two – a Chilean and a Spanish film – are unlikely to feel the impact of the strike, the heavy cast of the first three films means their Venice premieres could be starless if the labor dispute continues through the end of August. Poor thingssupported by Searchlight, addresses a similar problem.

In her keynote speech, Barbera noted that the SAG-AFTRA strikes will mean some “actors and actresses” won’t attend, but said independent film talent will be allowed to come, meaning the red carpet “won’t be empty.”

Thankfully, that still leaves plenty of room for the paparazzi to please, with headlines that will hopefully be able to show off their non-AMPTP credentials including Priscilla (supported by A24 and The Apartment), Ferrari, Finally Dawnwith Lily James and Willem Dafoe, by Richard Linklater Hitmanwith Glen Powell, French science fiction The beast with George MacKay and Lea Seydoux and the directorial return of Luc Besson Dogmanwith Caleb Landry Jones.

DAY learns that waiver applications are already being submitted to SAG-AFTRA for some of these titles, although no approval has yet been formally announced.

That said, one issue still remains that could hamper the Venice red carpet, union waiver or otherwise, if the strike continues.

Says a publicist: “There’s also the question of whether the actors would like to do public relations in Venice or show solidarity for their striking peers.”