Brad Pitt and George Clooney Thrill Venice with ‘Wolfs’ World Premiere

The Lido is buzzing with excitement over Wolfs.

Backed by the star power of A-listers Brad Pitt and George Clooney, the Jon Watts-directed film from Apple and Sony had a triumphant world premiere at the Venice Film Festival late Sunday night. Fans and media gathered outside the Palazzo del Cinema went wild as Pitt and Clooney arrived ahead of the screening. Once the final frames hit the screen and the credits rolled, Wolfs received nearly a five-minute standing ovation. Soaking in the admiration, Pitt sang along to Sade, while Clooney offered a heartfelt “Grazie” to close out the moment.

Wolfs, also penned by Watts, casts Pitt and Clooney as fixers who inadvertently take on the same job. The film, produced by Clooney’s Smokehouse and Pitt’s Plan B, stars Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, Poorna Jagannathan, Richard Kind, and Zlatko Burić. Watts and Dianne McGunigle produced alongside Clooney, Pitt, Grant Heslov, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner. Michael Beugg served as executive producer.

Just last month, it was confirmed that a Wolfs sequel is in the works at Apple. The movie is also set for a limited theatrical release via Sony on September 20, followed by a global launch on Apple TV+ on September 27.

The appearance of two of Hollywood’s most beloved movie stars in Venice highlighted a major theme at this year’s Venice Film Festival: movie stars are making a strong comeback! Leading the resurgence are Pitt and Clooney. Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix will also grace Venice as DC villains in Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux. Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore return for The Room Next Door, Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language debut.

Daniel Craig headlines Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, alongside Lesley Manville and Drew Starkey. Nicole Kidman stars in Babygirl opposite Harris Dickinson and Antonio Banderas for filmmaker Halina Reijn. Cate Blanchett features in Alfonso Cuarón’s small-screen series Disclaimer alongside Kevin Kline and Sacha Baron Cohen for Apple TV+.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Tim Burton’s return to the underworld with a stellar cast, opened the festival with Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, Willem Dafoe, Catherine O’Hara, and Italian legend Monica Bellucci. Additional notable films include Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist featuring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, and Joe Alwyn; Justin Kurzel’s The Order with Nicholas Hoult, Jude Law, and Tye Sheridan, among others.