# Venice Chief Alberto Barbera on Landing Robert Pattinson Film ‘Primetime’ at the Last Minute and Lack of U.S. Studios at the Festival: They Are ‘Experiencing an Identity Crisis’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/venice-chief-alberto-barbera-on-landing-robert-pattinson-film-primetime-at-the-last-minute-and-lack-of-u-s-studios-at-the-festival-they-are-experiencing-an-identity-crisis/
- Published: 2026-07-23T17:40:27+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-23T22:29:05+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/venice-alberto-barbera-robert-pattinson-lack-studio-movies-1236819420/
- Topics: Art, Celebrity, Culture, Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Venice blames fewer US films on studio upheaval, not festival rejection.
- International directors and stars still dominate the programme.
- Barbera says film marketing methods need rethinking.

## Summary

Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera said the reduced presence of US studio and streaming films reflects turmoil within the industry rather than a loss of interest in Venice. He argued that mergers, stalled decision-making and uncertainty over film marketing have left fewer auteur-led projects available for festivals, although Venice has still assembled a high-profile international programme.

The lineup includes films from Martin McDonagh, Danny Boyle, Werner Herzog, Nanni Moretti, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Lee Chang-dong, alongside Robert Pattinson’s “Primetime”, secured late, and an Oasis reunion documentary. Barbera said Warner Bros. chose to bypass autumn festivals for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Tom Cruise film “Digger” as a marketing decision, while also acknowledging that only one female director is competing this year.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.