The Venice Film Festival has announced a change in its opening selection due to the ongoing Hollywood strike. The movie “Challengers,” directed by Luca Guadagnino and featuring US star Zendaya, was originally slated to open the festival but has pulled out because of the strike.
In its place, Edoardo De Angelis’ film “Comandante” will now open the 80th Venice International Film Festival. The festival organizers made the announcement in a statement on Friday, July 21. “Comandante” will have its world premiere on August 30 during the opening ceremony. The change comes as actors and writers have joined forces in a strike, effectively shutting down Hollywood.
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike after negotiations for a new deal with production studios failed. The union’s demands include better pay in the streaming era and concerns about the threat of artificial intelligence in the industry. “Comandante” is based on a true story and depicts the rescue of 26 shipwrecked Belgians during World War II. Italian director Edoardo De Angelis is known for his 2016 film “Indivisibili” and the TV drama series “The Lying Life of Adults.”
