George Clooney and Adam Sandler’s latest movie, Jay Kelly, has received a 10-minute standing ovation at this year’s Venice International Film Festival after it premiered on August 28.
Noah Baumbach, who has previously helmed movies such as Marriage Story (2019) and White Noise (2022), directed Jay Kelly from a script he penned with Emily Mortimer. Baumbach also produced the feature with Amy Pascal and David Heyman.
George Clooney and Adam Sandler’s Jay Kelly receives major applause
The comedy-drama feature Jay Kelly received a 10-minute standing ovation following its world premiere in competition at the Sala Grande in Venice on Thursday. The cast of Jay Kelly includes Clooney as the eponymous famous actor, Sandler as Ron Sukenick, Laura Dern as Liz, Billy Crudup as Timothy, Greta Gerwig as Lois Sukenick, Grace Edwards as Daisy, and Riley Keough as Jessica.
The logline for Jay Kelly reads, “Famous movie actor Jay Kelly and his devoted manager Ron embark on a whirlwind and unexpectedly profound journey through Europe. Along the way, both men are forced to confront the choices they’ve made, the relationships with their loved ones, and the legacies they’ll leave behind.”
Although Clooney wasn’t present at the press conference for the movie due to reportedly having a sinus infection, he did make an appearance at the gala red carpet and screening. Sandler and other members of the cast were also present on the island of Lido for the movie’s premiere.
Baumbach penned the screenplay for Jay Kelly with Clooney in mind. “We discovered soon that if you make a movie about an actor, you’re making a movie about identity and performance and a search for self,” the filmmaker said in Venice. “Actors are always sort of trying to find themselves in a character, and where do I fit in this character, but it’s a character outside themselves” (via Deadline).
Jay Kelly will be released in select theaters on November 14, 2025 and will arrive on Netflix on December 5.
