Damien Chazelle’s First Man to open the 2018… | Little White Lies

Festivals

Damien Chazelle’s First Man to open the 2018 Venice Film Festival

19 Jul 2018

Words by Adam Woodward

A group of NASA astronauts, wearing blue flight suits with NASA logo, look serious and focused.
A group of NASA astronauts, wearing blue flight suits with NASA logo, look serious and focused.
The writer/​director will be hoping to use the festival as a launchpad for next year’s Oscars.

The annual Oscar race seems to start earlier each year… Today Variety dropped the news that Damien Chazelle’s new feature First Man will open the 75th Venice International Film Festival on Wednesday 29 August.

Chazelle has been here before, of course – his previous film, La La Land, kicked off the festival’s 73rd edition back in 2016. By using one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals as a launchpad, he’ll be hoping to make a giant leap towards next year’s Academy Awards.

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Two silhouetted figures embracing in a dimly lit room, with blue curtains in the background.

First Man sees the Whiplash writer/​director reteam with Ryan Gosling to tell the true story of NASA’s successful attempt to put a man on the moon. Gosling stars as Neil Armstrong, and the film is being pitched as a personal, first-hand account of the journey he and his Apollo 11 crew embarked on between 1961 and 1969.

Claire Foy plays Armstrong’s wife, Janet Shearon, while Kyle Chandler, Jason Clarke, Corey Stoll, Ciaran Hinds and Christopher Abbott also co-star. First Man is set for release on 12 October.

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