Martin McDonagh’s latest feature Wild Horse Nine premiered at the Venice Film Festival
The film is McDonagh’s third consecutive Venice Film Festival launch competing for the Golden Lion.
Cast members John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Leslie Bibb, and Parker Posey attended the premiere.
John Malkovich Fights Back Tears During 13-Minute Venice Standing Ovation For Wild Horse Nine, Film Generates Oscar Buzz
Set in 1973, the film follows two CIA officers, played by Malkovich and Rockwell, who are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island.
Summary
Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine moved into the Oscar conversation on Thursday (September 3) night after its Venice Film Festival world premiere drew a thunderous 13-minute ovation.
John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Leslie Bibb and Parker Posey were among the crowd at the premiere. As per a report in Variety, Malkovich, who stars with Rockwell, appeared emotional as the applause rolled on and McDonagh looked touched too.
Bibb drove the cheering with hoots and hollers as the Sala Grande theatre in the Palazzo del Cinema filled with applause.
The moment doubled as a White Lotus reunion. Parker Posey, who acts in the movie alongside her season three castmate Bibb, grew tearful during the screening. She fanned herself repeatedly and mouthed about the intense heat inside the venue.
Before the screening, McDonagh appeared on the red carpet with his partner Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The pair laughed as they took in the frenetic scene. Bibb stood off to one side with Buscemi and clapped for Rockwell, who smiled and waved to fans. Later, McDonagh and Rockwell moved into the crowd, shaking hands and signing autographs.
The audience clapped twice during the screening, once at a cheese rant and again when a character said he wanted to visit Venice, Italy.
John Malkovich, left, director Martin McDonagh and Sam Rockwell pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Wild Horse Nine' during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)
Plot and ensemble
Set in 1973, the film follows two CIA officers, played by Malkovich and Rockwell, who are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island.
The mission unfolds just ahead of the military coup that ousted Chile's socialist president Salvador Allende. The supporting cast features Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits and Posey.
Wild Horse Nine will compete for the Golden Lion. It is McDonagh’s third straight Venice launch after 2017’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin.
Three Billboards won Venice’s best screenplay prize before going on to earn seven Oscar nominations and two wins, for Frances McDormand and Rockwell.
His 2022 release repeated that festival triumph. The Banshees of Inisherin secured McDonagh a second Lido script award, while Colin Farrell took the Volpi Cup for best actor. The film eventually landed nine Oscar nominations.
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Malkovich awards buzz
Malkovich is already drawing Oscar buzz for Wild Horse Nine. Over a decades-long Hollywood career, he never took home an Oscar despite two past nominations. “That is an incredibly kind,” Malkovich said of the awards chatter at an earlier press conference. “For me, it’s a very nice thing. But the nicest thing is the film getting attention. And the film has several terrific performers, and it’s beautifully written and directed. That’s what matters to me.”
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