The same day that George Clooney’s The Ides of March was confirmed for the Toronto International Film Festival, they also released the first poster. Thoughts? I’m all over it. Totally into it. Is it a copy of something? I’m sure you know-it-alls will tell me. But even if it is, I think it’s wonderful anyway. And it did its job. I want to see The Ides of March, even more than I wanted to before.

As previously noted – click here for the full TIFF article – The Ides of March will be a gala presentation at TIFF, but before that, Clooney will take his film to Venice where it will open the festival August 31st.

So he’ll be spending the next few months hustling. And for his other film The Descendents too. What does that mean? It means a lot of George. Single George. Unless, of course, they find someone to fill The Italian Queen’s vacated position in the next few weeks. That strategy did not yield the ultimate prize the last time ‘round though for Up in the Air. I’m thinking George goes this campaign season alone, see how that might work out for him.

Anyway, TIFF announced its first 50 yesterday and now we wait on the schedule. I want to see how closely the marquee titles will be clumped together and how that first, always brutally busy, weekend is going to be. More specifically, how far apart the Clooney and Pitt galas are going to be. It’s our 10 year anniversary at etalk. Perfect way to kick it off.