Arrivals are picking up in Venice now ahead of the festival’s opening night tomorrow. George and Amal Clooney were seen in Lake Como last night for dinner with some celebrity friends, including Shailene Woodley, before heading to the Lido today to promote Jay Kelly. 

 

With Noah Baumbach directing and an all-star cast that also includes Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup (arriving with Naomi Watts), and more, people are expecting that Jay Kelly will be a factor during award season. So we’re keeping a close watch on how it plays in Venice because if it is well-received, this is where the momentum begins. It was also just announced today that Jay Kelly will screen at the BFI London Film Festival so they are putting in stops on the circuit in order to generate more buzz ahead of the theatrical release on November 14. Remember, though, Jay Kelly is a Netflix title so it’ll be streaming two weeks later. The theatre presence satisfies the Academy’s requirements for eligibility, and pacifies the filmmakers, of course, but it doesn’t solve the internal battle happening within the industry about where movies should and will live. 

 

We don’t have to talk about that today though. For now, we’ll focus on the glamourous shots of the movie stars in their water taxis, one of the iconic images that Venice is known for. Like, I love the scarf around Naomi Watts’s hair with the big sunglasses – this is definitely theme dressing for Venice. 

 

And then there’s Emma Stone, muse of Yorgos Lanthimos, with husband Dave McCary, officially kicking of the press tour for Bugonia. Two years ago, Yorgos’s Poor Things, starring Emma, won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, but she didn’t attend because of the Hollywood strikes. That was the beginning of a ride that took her all the way back to the Oscars for her second Best Actress win. Very, very interested to see what the buzz will be about Bugonia out of Venice and whether or not the Yorgos + Emma combination will once again be a contender. 

 

A new poster for the film, featuring her bald head, has been seen on billboards around town. 

One of the big question marks right now re: Emma and Oscars is what category she’ll be submitted in. Some experts are predicting it’ll be in the supporting category – that is, if Bugonia actually is to the Academy’s flavour. If Bugonia falls along Yorgos’s weirder spectrum, the Academy has many other options this year. It’s early but the field is looking competitive. 

George and Amal Clooney arrived in Lake Como with Shailene Woodley, while Naomi Watts and Billy Crudup, and Emma Stone and Dave McCary arrived in Venice on August 25-26, 2025.
Photo credits: Cobra Team/ HELPED/ Backgrid

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