‘A Star Is Born’ Confirmed to World Premiere at Venice Film Festival, Jumpstarting Bradley Cooper’s Directing Career

After much speculation, the 2018 Venice Film Festival has confirmed Bradley Cooper‘s directorial debut “A Star Is Born” will world premiere out of competition at the 75th edition of the festival. The music drama is scheduled to premiere Friday, August 31 on the eve of the festival’s first weekend. “A Star is Born” is the second confirmed title for Venice following Damien Chazelle’s “First Man,” which will open the event on August 29.

“A Star Is Born” is being eyed as a major Oscar contender for Warner Bros., and the Venice world premiere slot only positions the film more as an awards title. The world premiere is no doubt a huge gain for Cooper, who takes on directing duties for the first time after earning three Oscar nominations for acting and one as a producer, and for his co-star Lady Gaga, who’s making her leading lady debut in the movie. Both actors helped write the film’s songs and sang live during filming.

The film marks the third adaptation of the “A Star Is Born” story following the 1937 original, which earned Janet Gaynor an Oscar nomination for the role now being played by Gaga. The story centers around Cooper’s Jackson Maine, a popular country music star who takes a young woman named Ally (Gaga) under his wing and turns her into a superstar. The pair’s relationship suffers as their careers take on different trajectories. The 1954 adaptation earned Oscar nominations for Judy Garland and James Mason, while the 1976 take won the Oscar for best song (“Evergreen”).

The full Venice Film Festival lineup will be announced July 25. Venice 2018 runs August 29 to September 8. Warner Bros. will open “A Star Is Born” nationwide October 5.