Venice Film Festival heats up with McDonagh’s 'Wild Horse Nine' and Herzog’s 'Bucking Fastard'

VENICE, Italy (AP) — The Venice Film Festival is in full swing with the world premieres of the dark CIA comedy “Wild Horse Nine” and Werner Herzog’s “Bucking Fastard” Thursday evening on the Lido.

“Wild Horse Nine,” which was written and directed by Martin McDonagh, is one of the higher-profile films launching at the 83rd edition of the festival. The film stars Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich as CIA agents who are dispatched to Easter Island shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup. It will have a theatrical release later this fall, and, if McDonagh’s track record is any indication, might be an awards player.

McDonagh’s previous two films, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” both bowed at Venice and went on to receive multiple Oscar nominations, including best picture. “Three Billboards” won two, for Rockwell and Frances McDormand.

“Bucking Fastard” is more of a mystery. The Werner Herzog-directed film features Rooney Mara and Kate Mara as twin sisters whose physical and mental codependency becomes a source of public fascination. A synopsis says “they speak in unison, love the same man, and have the same dreams.”

Both films are competing for the Golden Lion, along with Danny Boyle’s Rupert Murdoch film “Ink” and the Gaza-focused documentary “NAZA.”

The Maggie Gyllenhaal-led jury will announce the winners in a Sept. 12 ceremony.

For coverage of the 2026 Venice Film Festival, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/venice-film-festival