Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
NEW YORK (AP) — Alejandro Inarritu's "Birdman," starring Michael Keaton, will open the 71st Venice Film Festival.
Festival organizers announced Thursday that the film, whose full title is "Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance," will premiere Aug. 27 at the annual Italian festival.
In the black comedy, Keaton plays an actor famous for portraying an iconic superhero who is trying to mount a Broadway play. The movie also stars Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Emma Stone and Naomi Watts.
Inarritu's previous movies include "Babel," ''Amores Perros" and "21 Grams."
One of the most anticipated films of the fall, Fox Searchlight will release "Birdman" in North America on Oct. 17.
The Venice Film Festival runs Aug. 27 through Sept. 6.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.