Robert Pattinson and Oasis bring star power to Venice Film Festival
- Last updated: September 7, 2026 | 09:09
The worlds of rock and movie stardom are colliding at the Venice Film Festival, as both Robert Pattinson and Oasis frontmen Noel and Liam Gallagher arrive on the Lido for world premieres on Saturday. Pattinson's film, "Primetime," is about the reality series "To Catch a Predator," and host Chris Hansen at the height of its success on Dateline NBC, while the Gallaghers are coming in support of a documentary about their 2025 reunion tour. Both films will be in US theatres in September.
With many movie star moments already in the rearview, from George Clooney's lifetime achievement award to the emotional ovation for John Malkovich's performance in "Wild Horse Nine," the combination of Pattinson and Oasis on the same day could be a high-wattage pinnacle for this year's festival.
"Primetime," which was written by Ajon Singh and directed by Lance Oppenheim, has already inspired discourse and headlines with just its trailer and subject matter. It's based on journalist Luke Dittrich's "Esquire" article "Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die," which explores a 2006 sting operation on Texas assistant district attorney Bill Conradt. He died by suicide as police officers descended on his home with the show's television cameras outside.
Oppenheim, in his director's statement, said that he "wanted to trace the disparate ambitions of people who existed inside this apparatus - a journalistic crusader, a mercenary TV producer and a wide-eyed Hollywood dreamer – converging into a moment of crisis."
Hansen was not involved in the making of the movie and has made several public comments about it, including that he had always thought Denis Leary should have played him and questioning the motives of the filmmakers. He was invited to see the movie before the festival, but took issue with the NDA he was asked to sign beforehand.
Last year, the series was also the subject of an acclaimed documentary, "Predators," from filmmaker David Osit. It's currently streaming on Paramount+.
For Pattinson, "Primetime," in theatres on Sept.25, is one more buzzy performance in a banner year that's already included memorable performances in hit films from "The Drama," to "The Odyssey," and with "Dune: Part Three," still to come.
The Oasis documentary, subtitled "Don't Look Back in Anger," is part concert film and part exploration of the contentious relationship between the Gallagher brothers, whose long-held feud led to Oasis disbanding in 2009. It includes never-before-seen rehearsals and what was then their first joint interview in 25 years.
"We set out to make a film about the reconciliation of two brothers, infamous for their volatile relationship, but we also wanted to make a film about the power of music and the way Oasis' songs have continued to have a life of their own, as the band lay dormant for fifteen years," co-directors Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace said in their directors' statement. "The documentary, like the reunion and the tour, took on a life of its own." It'll be in theatres shortly after the festival. Disney is giving "Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger" an IMAX release on Sept. 11, and it's expected to arrive on the Disney+ streaming service later this year.
Meanwhile, fans of British rock band Oasis gathered in Venice on Saturday ahead of the premiere of a behind-the-scenes film about the group's reunion tour last year, with the Gallagher brothers set to walk the red carpet. Die-hard followers of the Manchester duo reserved places in front of the main Venice Film Festival hall in the morning, prepared to wait all day in hot and humid conditions ahead of the 9 pm premiere.
The Disney film "Don't Look Back in Anger" captures the reconciliation of Noel and Liam Gallagher after 15 years of not talking to each other following an infamous bust-up in Paris in 2009. Their reunion, which led to the 2025 world tour, saw an outpouring of nostalgia and support for Oasis, a pioneer of so-called "Britpop" in the 1990s and one of the biggest rock bands of the past 30 years.
Agencies