Martin McDonagh's new film Wild Horse Nine received the first major standing ovation of the 2026 Venice Film Festival, with the 14-minute reception marking the longest so far this year. The darkly comic buddy drama, set on Easter Island shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as CIA partners whose past resurfaces as their mission unravels, and features a supporting cast including Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits and Parker Posey. Its warm reception matters as an early signal of strength in this year's competition line-up, and continues McDonagh's strong run at the festival following The Banshees of Inisherin's success in 2022.

McDonagh, who wrote and directed the film after being inspired by a trip to Easter Island over a decade ago, said at the press conference that its depiction of covert American intervention had taken on unintended contemporary resonance, though it was not conceived as direct political commentary. The film is backed by Searchlight Pictures and is among 21 titles competing for the Golden Lion, with winners to be announced on 12 September under a jury led by Maggie Gyllenhaal. It is set for US cinema release on 6 November, following further festival appearances at Telluride and Toronto.