Venice: George Clooney and Adam Sandler starrer 'Jay Kelly' recieved an 8.5-minute standing ovation after its screening at the ongoing Venice Film Festival 2025, reported Variety.
Clooney walked the red carpet on the Lido with his co-star Adam Sandler, who made a rare appearance in a tux. In 'Jay Kelly,' Clooney is an ageing movie star, and Sandler is his manager who has sacrificed everything for his most precious client, according to the outlet.
As the crowd cheered during the ovation, Clooney leaned over and kissed his wife, Amal, seated behind him. He hugged Sandler and Baumbach throughout the applause, reported Variety. Earlier in the day, Clooney missed the film's official press conference as he was recovering from a sinus infection. And on the red carpet, the star did try to socially distance from his cast, which included Laura Dern (as Jay Kelly's publicist Liz), Billy Crudup (his childhood friend) and Riley Keough (his daughter).
'Jay Kelly' will have a theatrical run in the US starting on November 14, before being released on Netflix on December 5, according to People. As for director Baumbach, the filmmaker has premiered a number of his films on the Lido, including 2022's 'White Noise,' 2019's Oscar-nominated 'Marriage Story' and 2015's documentary 'De Palma' about the filmmaking titan.
Clooney, too, has returned to Venice several times over the decades with movies such as 1998's 'Out of Sight,' 2005's 'Good Night, and Good Luck' and most recently with 2024's 'Wolfs.' Meanwhile, 'Jay Kelly' is Sandler's first Venice Film Festival premiere, according to Variety.
On the opening night of the festival, Director Paolo Sorrentino's latest directorial 'La Grazia', was met with a four-minute standing ovation at the festival after the screening, reported Variety. The story of an ageing politician dealing with his own mortality and deciding the outcome of two clemency cases in his final days in office garnered appreciation from the Venice crowd inside the Sala Grande Theatre.