The 81st Venice Film Festival kicks off tonight on the Lido island, surrounded by historic squares and winding canals, with the opening ceremony and the highly anticipated world premiere of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice.
The red carpet was packed with talent, a stark contrast to last year's event, which was marked by a celebrity-heavy attendance due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
Related: Beetlejuice Review: The Amazing Afterlife of Tim Burton's Delightfully Creepy Sequel – Venice Film Festival
The premiere cast included Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, Arthur Conti and director Tim Burton, who walked the red carpet at the Out of Competition screening at the Palazzo on Wednesday, August 28. Other guests in attendance included Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement winners Sigourney Weaver and Taylor Russell, Cate Blanchett, Patti Smith, Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera, jury president Isabelle Huppert, and jury members James Gray and Zhang Ziyi, among many others.
In the sequel, three generations of the Deetz family return to their hometown of Winter River after an unexpected family tragedy. Continued to be haunted by Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), Lydia (Winona Ryder)'s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) discovers a mysterious model of the town in the attic, accidentally opening a portal to the afterlife. Trouble ensues in both worlds, and when someone utters Beetlejuice's name three times, it's only a matter of time before the mischievous demon returns to wreak havoc.
RELATED: 'Beetlejuice' movie poster and images: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe
The film was directed by Burton from a screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, with a story by Gough, Millar and Seth Grahame-Smith, with characters created by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson.
A Warner Bros. Pictures production, Beetlejuice will be released exclusively in theaters and IMAX nationwide on September 6, 2024, and internationally on September 4, 2024.
Films competing for this year's Golden Lion include Pablo Larrains' Maria, starring Angelina Joll as Maria Callas, Todd Phillips' Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, Luca Guadagnino's Queer starring Daniel Craig, Pedro Almodóvars' The Room Next Door starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, Halina Raine's erotic thriller Babygirl starring Nicole Kidman, and Justin Kurzel's The Order starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult.
The 81st Venice International Film Festival will take place from August 28 to September 7, 2024.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, Tim Burton
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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(From left) Justin Theroux, Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, Tim Burton, Monica Bellucci and Michael Keaton attend the red carpet for “Beetlejuice” at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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(L-R) Catherine O'Hara, Willem Dafoe, Michael Keaton, Monica Bellucci, Tim Burton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux and Arthur Conti attend the red carpet for the film “Beetlejuice” during the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2024 in Venice, Italy.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Michael Keaton
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Michael Keaton
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Winona Ryder
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Winona Ryder and Scott Mackinlay Hahn
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Jenna Ortega
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Jenna Ortega
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Jenna Ortega
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Catherine O'Hara
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Director Tim Burton and Monica Bellucci
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Monica Bellucci
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Justin Theroux
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Willem Dafoe and Giada Colagrande
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Arthur Conti
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Sigourney Weaver
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Sigourney Weaver
Italy – Cinema – Venice – Film Festival – Mostra
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Sigourney Weaver receives Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the opening ceremony of the 81st Venice International Film Festival
81st Venice International Film Festival Opening Ceremony & Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award
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Sigourney Weaver to receive 2024 Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion at the opening ceremony of the 81st Venice International Film Festival
Italy – Cinema – Venice – Film Festival – Mostra
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Sigourney Weaver poses on the red carpet after receiving the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Cate Blanchett
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Patti Smith
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Patti Smith and Cate Blanchett
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Jury members Giuseppe Tornatore, Julia von Heinz, James Gray, Agnieszka Holland, Abderrahmane Sissako, Isabelle Huppert, Zhang Ziyi, Clever Mendonça Filho and Andrew Haigh attended the red carpet for “Beetlejuice” at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Zhang Ziyi
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Zhang Ziyi
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Jury Chair Isabelle Huppert
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Judge James Gray
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Taylor Russell
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Taylor Russell
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Barbara Paz
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Pietrangelo Buttafuocco, President of the 81st Venice International Film Festival, and actress Sveva Alviti
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Actress and Opening Ceremony host Sveva Alviti appears on the red carpet for the opening film “Beetlejuice”
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Opening Red Carpet – 81st Venice International Film Festival
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Venice Film Festival Director Alberto Barbera (right) and his wife Giulia Barbera
