Venice is turning up the star power as Robert Pattinson and Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher arrive for major premieres at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
According to the Associated Press, Pattinson is presenting Primetime, a drama inspired by the controversial NBC reality series To Catch a Predator and its host Chris Hansen. The Gallagher brothers are in Venice for Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger, a documentary about the band’s 2025 reunion tour. Both films are due in US cinemas this month.
Their arrivals add fresh star power to a festival that has already featured several high-profile moments, including a lifetime achievement award for George Clooney and strong attention around John Malkovich’s performance in Wild Horse Nine.
Pattinson steps into Hansen’s shoes
In Primetime, Pattinson plays Chris Hansen, the host at the centre of To Catch a Predator. Directed by Lance Oppenheim and written by Ajon Singh, the film explores a 2006 sting operation involving Texas assistant district attorney Bill Conradt. Conradt died by suicide as police raided his home while television cameras were present.
The film draws on journalist Luke Dittrich’s Esquire article Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die, which examined the controversial operation.
Oppenheim said he wanted to explore the competing ambitions of a journalist, a television producer and a young Hollywood hopeful whose paths eventually collide in a crisis.
Hansen did not take part in the film and has publicly questioned the filmmakers’ motives. He has also said he once believed Denis Leary would have been a better choice to portray him.
Hansen was invited to see the film before its Venice premiere but objected to being asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Primetime opens in US cinemas on 25 September. The film adds to a busy year for Pattinson, who has also appeared in The Drama and The Odyssey. He is set to appear in Dune: Part Three.
Oasis reunion hits the big screen
Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger chronicles the band’s 2025 reunion tour while examining the complicated relationship between Noel and Liam Gallagher. Their long-running feud led to the band’s breakup in 2009.
Directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, the documentary features previously unseen rehearsal footage and the brothers’ first joint interviews in more than 25 years. The Venice programme confirms that both brothers feature in the film.
The directors said they wanted to tell the story of two brothers overcoming a turbulent relationship while also exploring the lasting influence of Oasis’ music.
The film receives its US theatrical release on 11 September, with limited IMAX early-access screenings beginning on 9 September. It is expected to stream later this year on Disney+ in the US.
Oasis reunited for their 2025 tour after remaining inactive for about 15 years.
