In midst of the grandeur of Venice, shares of insights from George Clooney were captured, mingling the realms of cinema and U.S. politics. A dialogue was struck around Biden’s presidency and his remarks on the movie “Wolfs,” that shares screen space with the illustrious Brad Pitt.
In the setting of a Venetian press meet held for ‘Wolfs,’ a suspenseful and witty crime film, an attendee had to courage to broach a spicy topic. Incidentally, the topic did not concern the handsome appearances of George Clooney nor the movie itself.
The 63-year-old actor, refreshed and glowing in the Italian sun, faced a curious question regarding an opinion piece he constructed in The New York Times. Published on July 10, the piece indirectly prompted President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to give up his place as the Democratic nominee.
This significant move by the renowned actor, a chief patron in Tinseltown, occurred following a less than satisfactory debate performance by President Biden against his opponent Donald J. Trump last June. Clooney’s daring viewpoint received hearty applause from certain quarters of the Venetian press collection.
Nevertheless, Clooney refrained from accepting any praise, showering accolades on the president instead. ‘The one deserving applause is undoubtedly the president who demonstrated the greatest virtue of selflessness after George Washington,’ he remarked. Clooney expressed admiration for President Biden’s decision to support Vice President Kamala Harris as the democratic nominee this past July.
With a note of pride, Clooney commented on Harris’ meteoric rise: ‘With hearts full of pride, we acknowledge the current world state of affairs which, surprisingly, have exceeded many people’s expectations. The future, indeed, looks bright and stirring.’
Yet, the actor’s political stance was not the only subject of intrigue during the media session. ‘Wolfs,’ a film starring Clooney and Pitt as competing problem solvers forced to collaborate to erase evidence of a crime, has found itself in an interesting circumstance regarding its release strategy.
The initial plan was for ‘Wolfs’ to grace the movie houses far and wide before making its appearance on Apple TV+. However, a string of box office underperformers like ‘Argylle’ and ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ made Apple TV+ reconsider their strategy.
‘Wolfs’ has now been relegated to a week-long showcase in select theaters before it can be streamed starting September 27. Journalists inquired if the drop of a grand cinematic release disappointed the co-actor. ‘Of course, we would have cherished such a wide release,’ Clooney acknowledged frankly.
Defending the film’s budget, Clooney pointed out that he and Pitt agreed to a lower salary to support the film, contrary to a report by The Times suggesting they were compensated $35 million each. He clarified that their paycuts were far steeper than what was published.
Clooney further discussed the shifting landscape of the film industry, talking about his latest venture as a director titled ‘The Boys in the Boat,’ originally produced for MGM before moving to Amazon, bypassing an intended global release. ‘We’re collectively navigating through these changes,’ he stated.
Brad Pitt, also present at the press conference, had a measured response to the altered release schedule. While expressing his love for the theatrical experience, he acknowledged his appreciation for streaming platforms as it allows for an expanded reach and exploration of new talents.
In response to a question about the potential decline of the industry if films starring renowned actors such as himself and Pitt cannot secure a wide release, Clooney initially jokingly claimed, ‘We’re obviously going downhill.’ However, he reminisced their early career paths when the studio system offered a protective and structured environment to actors.
He noted that during their initial days as actors, a murmur of a studio system existed. Clooney recalled fondly, ‘Tides changed in my favor with the success of ‘ER,’ and that led to a five-movie pact with Warner Bros.’ Drawing attention to some of his less laudable moments, he also cited his involvement in ‘Batman & Robin’, a global box office failure.
Looking towards a positive shift in the industry structure, Clooney concluded, ‘Our industry’s democratization is an encouraging trend.’ He reinforced his optimism by saying it was the streaming platforms that brought films to magnitudes more viewers. ‘So, in its essence, that’s truly a positive thing,’ he affirmed.