Julia Roberts defended her new film “After the Hunt” at a heated Venice Film Festival press conference, where the star was questioned about the movie’s statements surrounding the #MeToo movement and cancel culture.
In the thriller, set in the world of higher education, Roberts as a beloved college professor who finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when her mentee (Edebiri) accuses are friend and colleague (Garfield) of crossing a line.
Roberts waved off an early question about whether “After the Hunt” was undermining the feminist movement. The journalist who raised the question said the movie had “caused controversy” among festivalgoers who felt the story “revives old arguments” about believing woman who speak up about sexual assault allegations. Though Roberts didn’t directly address the query, the actor said she wants the movie to bring up difficult conversations.
“Not to be disagreeable, because it’s not in my nature,” Roberts said with a laugh, “but the thing you said that I love is it ‘revives old arguments.’ I don’t think it’s just reviving an argument of women being pitted against each other or not supporting each other. There are a lot of old arguments that get rejuvenated that creates conversation.”
Roberts continued, “The best part of your question is that you all came out of the theater talking about it. That’s how we wanted it to feel. You realize what you believe in strongly because we stir it all up for you. So, you’re welcome.”
Asked again about the topic, Roberts denied that the film was attempting to stoke controversy and lamented that society is “losing the art of conversation in humanity right now.”
“We’re not making statements; we are portraying these people in this moment in time,” she said. “I don’t know about controversy, per se, but we are challenging people to have conversation. To be excited or or infuriated about it is up to you. If making this movie does anything, getting everybody to talk to each other is the most exciting thing that I think we could accomplish.”
Then she jabbed, “I love the softball questions early in the morning.”
Guadagnino described the film as “looking at people in their truths. It’s not that one truth is most important, it’s how we see the clash of truths and what is the boundary of these truths together. It’s not about making a manifesto to revive old-fashioned values.”
“After the Hunt” is playing out of competition at Venice, which is currently in full swing with recent and upcoming premieres of Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone’s conspiracy thriller “Bugonia,” George Clooney and Adam Sandler’s road-trip dramedy “Jay Kelly,” Kathryn Bigelow’s “The House of Dynamite” and Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson’s MMA drama “The Smashing Machine.”
Guadagnino was last at Venice with “Queer,” a romantic period drama starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey. The Italian auteur has a long history with the festival, having premiered such films as 2022’s “Bones and All,” 2018’s “Susperia” remake, 2015’s “A Bigger Splash” and others on the Lido. Meanwhile, Roberts, Garfield and Edebiri are making their Venice Film Festival debut with “After the Hunt,” which premieres on Friday evening.
In a rare moment of levity at the otherwise tense press conference, Roberts asked her fellow cast members to simultaneously open the cans of water placed in front of them so “the noise doesn’t disrupt the incredible things we’re about to say.”
Garfield joked, “It was like that every day on set. When her can had to be opened, everyone’s had to be opened. That’s the microcosm of Julia Roberts.”
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