AFI Fest adds world premiere of Sandra Bullock-Sarah Paulson s ‘Bird Box’ to Gala lineup

Netflix is making sure they’re dominating the festival season ahead of awards season and that now includes the world premiere of Susanne Bier’s dystopian thriller Bird Box starring Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock and Emmy winner Sarah Paulson at next month’s AFI Fest.

That makes three of the five Galas at the fest Netflix films which also includes The Ballad of Buster Scruggs from the Oscar-winning Coen Brothers and The Kominsky Method starring Academy Award winners Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin, a single camera series from Chuck Lorre. AFI Fest will show the first three of eight episodes. 

They join the previously announced Gala for Karyn Kusama’s Destroyer, which will also feature a tribute to star Nicole Kidman. 

A pair of festival hits announced this morning include Toronto world premiere Widows, with its all-star cast led by Oscar and Emmy winner Viola Davis and Green Book, Toronto People’s Choice Award winner starring Oscar winner Mahershala Ali and Oscar nominee Viggo Mortensen.

As previously reported, Focus Features will hold the fests’ Opening and Closing Night films with On the Basis of Sex and Mary Queen of Scots, respectively. 

AFI Fest, which runs November 8-15, will announce its complete lineup of all sections later this month.