Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield led the red carpet in Venice for the world premiere of Luca Guadagnino’s “After the Hunt,” a psychological campus drama that debuted out of competition on Aug. 29 at the 82nd edition of the festival. The cast, including Ayo Edebiri, joined Guadagnino for the evening premiere following a press day that framed the film’s themes around power, accusation, and professional stakes inside academia.
The film centers on a college professor, Alma (Roberts), forced into a high-risk set of choices after a prized student accuses a colleague, Hank (Garfield), while a secret from Alma’s past threatens to surface. Writing credits go to Nora Garrett; the craft team features cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed and a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
At the festival press conference, questions about the story’s #MeToo framing prompted Roberts to contend that the movie is designed to provoke discussion rather than deliver a verdict, warning that society is “losing the art of conversation” and inviting viewers to debate what they’ve seen. Guadagnino underscored that the film stages clashing truths rather than a manifesto.
The Venice bow marks the start of a high-profile fall rollout. Organizers of the New York Film Festival previously set “After the Hunt” as the Opening Night selection on Sept. 26, positioning the film for a stateside launch in front of a cinephile audience.
A theatrical release follows via Amazon MGM Studios: a limited run begins Oct. 10 before an expansion to wide release on Oct. 17. The studio’s fall dating arrives as the cast’s Venice turn draws attention to the project’s star-driven ensemble and to the film’s conversation-starter ambitions ahead of U.S. reviews.
