This year’s Toronto Film Festival will feature world premieres with star-studded performances from Angelina Jolie, Saoirse Ronan, and Keanu Reeves. Marking its 50th edition, the festival aims to spotlight films vying for recognition following the Venice Film Festival.
Angelina Jolie returns to the screen in Couture, directed by Alice Winocour. In this drama, she portrays a filmmaker arriving in Paris for fashion week, following her previous role as Maria Callas in Netflix’s biopic, Maria. Winocour is recognized for her earlier work with the sci-fi film Proxima.
Saoirse Ronan, fresh off her performances in The Outrun and Blitz, will star in the Bristol-based comedy thriller Bad Apples. In this film, she plays a teacher facing challenges with an exceptionally troubled student, promising a blend of “uneasy laughs” and provocative themes.
Keanu Reeves leads Good Fortune, Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut. Reeves takes on the role of an angel facilitating a body swap between Ansari’s character and Seth Rogen’s wealthy man. Ansari hopes this film will revive the R-rated comedy genre. “Aziz is fantastic,” Reeves stated, reflecting on his positive experience working with him.
The festival will also showcase directorial debuts from notable actors, including James McAvoy, Brian Cox, and Maude Apatow — Judd Apatow’s daughter. McAvoy’s film, California Schemin’, tells the true story of Scottish rappers masquerading as Americans, while Cox’s Glenrothan is described as a heartfelt tribute to Scotland. Maude Apatow’s Poetic License features her mother, Leslie Mann, in a comedic role.
In another highlight, Sydney Sweeney stars in Christy, a biopic about pioneering female boxer Christy Martin, directed by David Michôd. The film explores Martin’s rise in the 1990s and the struggle against her husband’s violent attempts on her life. “It’s a wild mix of inspiring sports story and personal saga,” Michôd said, commending Sweeney’s dedication to the role.
Additionally, attendees can look forward to historical narratives, including Palestine 36, focusing on a Palestinian uprising in the 1930s, and Nuremberg, featuring Rami Malek and Russell Crowe. Other notable films include Franz, a biopic about Franz Kafka, and Swiped, starring Lily James as Bumble’s founder, plus The Lost Bus, where Matthew McConaughey plays a school bus driver during a deadly wildfire.
Other exciting premieres already announced include Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man, the eagerly awaited sequel to Knives Out, featuring Daniel Craig and newcomers Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, and Mila Kunis. Hikari’s comedy-drama Rental Family, Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman starring Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst, and Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers with Michaela Coel and Ian McKellen are also set to impress.
Chris Evans takes on a thrilling role in Sacrifice, an action-comedy where he plays a movie star kidnapped by radicals, alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and Salma Hayek. Director Bobby Farrelly presents Driver’s Ed, featuring breakout star Sam Nivola, while Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Theo James headline Fuze, a heist thriller from Scottish director David Mackenzie.
Other intriguing premieres include the offbeat romantic comedy Eternity with Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller, mystery thriller The Ugly from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho, and Easy’s Waltz directed by Nic Pizzolatto, featuring Al Pacino and Vince Vaughn.
Documentary premieres will also enrich the lineup, including Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, alongside films covering John Candy, the teen series Degrassi, and the historic Lilith Fair music festival.
The Toronto Film Festival is set to run from September 4 to 14.
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