Venice premiere draws standing ovation for After the Hunt

Venice premiere of After the Hunt draws a standing ovation and sparks debate over its treatment of MeToo and cancel culture.

Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield Light Up Venice with After the Hunt

Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield arrived at the Venice premiere of After the Hunt to a six-minute standing ovation on the Lido. Roberts was visibly moved, wiping away tears and sharing hugs with director Luca Guadagnino and co stars Ayo Edebiri and Garfield as fans shouted their names.

The Amazon MGM Studios release centers on Alma Olsson, a revered Ivy League professor who faces a secret past after a colleague is accused of crossing a line with a student. Garfield plays Henrik Gibson, the colleague, and Edebiri plays Maggie Price, Alma's protégé who comes forward with the allegation. The film has already sparked questions at a Friday press conference about its messaging around the MeToo movement and cancel culture. Roberts defended the work, saying it is about portraying people in a moment in time and not about controversy. The film opens in New York and Los Angeles on Oct 10 and expands nationwide Oct 17.

Premier ovation signals strong festival support, but the film's handling of consent and accountability invites debate about how audiences interpret MeToo in cinema. The premiere also highlights the strain between prestige cinema and hot button topics as audiences wrestle with what a drama about power should say.

The festival spotlight and star power put Roberts and Guadagnino at the center of a broader shift in how cinema engages public conversations. The risk is that controversy overshadows craft, while the benefit is a lasting conversation that keeps the film in public mind as it reaches theaters.

Highlights

Venice remains a stage where cinema meets public discourse.