TIFF50: ‘Wake Up Dead Man,’ ‘The Lost Bus,’ ‘Hamnet’ Headed to 50th Toronto International Film Festival
Benoit Blanc is headed back to the scene of the crime, Toronto, that is. The third film in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out trilogy, Wake Up Dead Man, will have its world premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival.
Johnson’s two prior whodunnits in the trilogy, 2019’s Knives Out and 2022’s Glass Onion, also had their world premieres at TIFF. Joining Daniel Craig’s Southern detective in Wake Up Dead Man is a new ensemble including Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington and Andrew Scott.
Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, a fictionalization of the life of William Shakespeare’s son based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell and starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, will have its Canadian premiere at TIFF, meaning the film will first screen at another festival. Based on the ‘Canadian Premiere’ designation that would point to Telluride vs Venice as its bow.
Other additions to the TIFF lineup include the world premieres of Nicholas Hytner’s The Choral, Agnieszka Holland’s Franz, Paul Greengrass’ The Lost Bus, HIKARI’s Rental Family, Peter Ho-Sun Chan’s She Has No Name, Clement Virgo’s Steal Away and the North American premieres of Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound and Rebecca Zlotowski’s A Private Life.
“Since its inception, TIFF has championed global cinema that opens our eyes and brings us together,” said TIFF’s chief programming officer Anita Lee. “We are delighted to share 11 more titles from our gala and special presentations programs that showcase the remarkable originality and excellence of today’s most exciting and acclaimed directors. These films reflect a sweeping range of voices and styles that embodies the spirit of TIFF and our commitment to a public audience.”
The festival’s 50th edition will take place September 4–14. John Candy: I Like Me, a documentary about the late comedian from director Colin Hanks and producer Ryan Reynolds, will open the festival and join the above titles and previously announced lineup of Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman, Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers, DaCosta’s Hedda, Alejandro Amenábar’s The Captive, Sung-hyun Byun’s Good News and Chandler Levack’s Mile End Kicks. More titles and sidebars will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Galas
The Choral | Nicholas Hytner | UK
World Premiere | Gala Presentation
Homebound | Neeraj Ghaywan | India
North American Premiere | Gala Presentation
Hamnet | Chloé Zhao | UK
Canadian Premiere | Gala Presentation
A Private Life | Rebecca Zlotowski | France
North American Premiere | Gala Presentation
Roofman | Derek Cianfrance | USA
World Premiere | Gala Presentation
She Has No Name | Peter Ho-Sun Chan | China
North American Premiere | Gala Presentation
Special Presentations:
Franz | Agnieszka Holland | Czech Republic/Germany/Poland
World Premiere | Special Presentation
The Lost Bus | Paul Greengrass | USA
World Premiere | Special Presentation
Rental Family | HIKARI | USA/Japan
World Premiere | Special Presentation
Steal Away | Clement Virgo | Canada/Belgium
World Premiere | Special Presentation
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery | Rian Johnson | USA
World Premiere | Special Presentation
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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