VENICE – A surge of Hollywood glamour and rock ’n’ roll nostalgia is set to hit the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, with Robert Pattinson and Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher all making their way to the Lido for major world premieres.
Pattinson is arriving with “Primetime,” a film centered on the cultural phenomenon of “To Catch a Predator” and its host Chris Hansen during the Dateline NBC series’ peak. The Gallagher brothers, meanwhile, are expected for a new documentary chronicling Oasis’ much-anticipated 2025 reunion tour. Both titles are scheduled to reach U.S. cinemas in September.
This year’s Venice lineup has already delivered its share of star-driven highlights, including George Clooney receiving a lifetime achievement honor and John Malkovich earning a moving ovation for his work in “Wild Horse Nine.” But the same-day arrival of Pattinson and Oasis may give the festival one of its brightest, most buzzworthy moments yet.
Robert Pattinson steps into the role of Chris Hansen
“Primetime,” directed by Lance Oppenheim from a script by Ajon Singh, has already stirred conversation thanks to its provocative trailer and real-life subject matter. The film draws from journalist Luke Dittrich’s Esquire story, “Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die,” which examined the 2006 sting involving Texas assistant district attorney Bill Conradt. Conradt died by suicide as police approached his home while television cameras connected to the program waited outside.
Oppenheim, in his director’s statement, said that he “wanted to trace the disparate ambitions of people who existed inside this apparatus — a journalistic crusader, a mercenary TV producer and a wide-eyed Hollywood dreamer — converging into a moment of crisis.”
Hansen was not involved in the making of the movie and has made several public comments about it, including that he had always thought Denis Leary should have played him and questioning the motives of the filmmakers. He was invited to see the movie before the festival, but took issue with the NDA he was asked to sign beforehand.
Last year, the series was also the subject of an acclaimed documentary, “Predators,” from filmmaker David Osit. It’s currently streaming on Paramount+.
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For Pattinson, “Primetime,” in theaters Sept. 25, is one more buzzy performance in a banner year that’s already included memorable performances in hit films from “The Drama” to “The Odyssey” and with “Dune: Part Three” still to come.
Inside the Oasis reunion tour
The Oasis documentary, subtitled “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” is part concert film and part exploration of the contentious relationship between the Gallagher brothers, whose long-held feud led to Oasis disbanding in 2009. It includes never-before-seen rehearsals and what was then their first joint interview in 25 years.
“We set out to make a film about the reconciliation of two brothers, infamous for their volatile relationship, but we also wanted to make a film about the power of music and the way Oasis’ songs have continued to have a life of their own, as the band lay dormant for fifteen years,” co-directors Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace said in their directors’ statement. “The documentary, like the reunion and the tour, took on a life of its own.”
It’ll be in theaters shortly after the festival. Disney is giving “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger” an IMAX release on Sept. 11, and it’s expected to arrive on the Disney+ streaming service later this year.
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