Clooney’s ‘Ides of March’ Opens Venice, Followed by TIFF

Deadline has broke the news before the festival has made the official announcement: George Clooney’s The Ides of March is set to open the 68th edition of the Venice Film Festival. As tradition would have it (recent examples: The Wrestler and Burn After Reading), it’s a safe bet that that it’ll show at Toronto Int. Film Festival a couple of days after it’s August 31st world preem date. The big question is: will The Descendants try to stake out Telluride and TIFF as well — pitting Columbia Pictures vs. Fox Searchlight and potentially complicating Clooney’s award season run.

Gist: Formerly titled “Farragut North”, this is based on Beau Willimon’s original screenplay and play, Gosling plays a press spokesman for a candidate running in the presidential primary for the Democratic Party ticket. Clooney will play the candidate, a state governor with White House aspirations. In the play, the press agent falls prey to backroom politics, the manipulations of veteran political operatives and the seduction of a young intern. Giamatti plays a rival campaign manager, Tomei plays a reporter for the New York Times, and Wood plays an intern for the campaign.

Worth Noting: Columbia Pictures opens The Ides of March on October 14th. Fox Searchlight opens The Descendants on December 16th.

Do We Care?: we’re reminded of just how much of a hot ticket item this is with Clooney directing (we actually dug Leatherheads), a brilliant cast in tow and a timed politico season release with two huge film festival premieres.