Sean Penn, Dakota Johnson, Finn Wolfhard, Viggo Mortensen, Maya Hawke, Nicolas Cage Among A-Listers Expected At The Toronto Film Festival Thanks To Interim Agreements

Andreas Wiseman
·3 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Last week we brought you news of which A-listers would and wouldn’t be attending Venice. This week, the Toronto talent picture is taking shape ahead of its September 7th kick off.

Among actors we understand will be at the strike-impacted festival this year thanks to interim agreements are Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson (who also produces) for Daddio, Finn Wolfhard (who also co-directs) and some of his co-stars in Hell Of A Summer, Viggo Mortensen (who also directs and produces) for The Dead Don’t Hurt, and Maya Hawke and Laura Linney for Wildcat.

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Among those likely to make the trip are Nicolas Cage for A24’s Dream Scenario, which we gather is close to finalising an interim agreement, and Jessica Chastain for Michel Franco’s Memory, which also quietly secured an IA. Memory is playing at Venice before its Toronto screening and Chastain and co-star Peter Sarsgaard are expected to be in attendance on the Lido.

SAG-AFTRA leadership has been vocal in calling on talent to promote independent movies at festivals if their projects secure interim agreements. There has been plenty of agonizing behind the scenes among industry and talent nonetheless with decisions only starting to firm up in recent days.

We hear that Kristin Scott Thomas is a maybe for North Star, which she directs and stars in, but that co-star Scarlett Johansson won’t be in attendance for the same movie. Michael Keaton, director and star of Knox Goes Away, is unlikely but not a firm no. The same is true for Kate Winslet and her co-stars for Lee, and Bobby Cannavale who stars in Ezra. Some of these movies are likely hoping for a late in the day IA if they don’t have one already.

Among leading actors who won’t be at this year’s festival, despite having independent movies in the lineup, are Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Annette Bening, Glen Powell, and Chris Pine, who also directs his movie Poolman. Cate Blanchett stars in and/or produces multiple indie movies at the festival but won’t make it, we hear, while Anna Kendrick directs and stars in Woman Of The Hour, but we hear the multi-hyphenate won’t be in attendance.

There are a host of studio movies whose casts won’t be treading the TIFF red carpet, but a number of directors will, including Taika Waititi for Next Goal Wins, Craig Gillespie for Dumb Money, David Yates for Pain Hustlers, George C. Wolfe for Rustin, John Carney will be repping Flora And Son, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin will attend for Nyad and Christos Nikou will be there for Fingernails.

Among indie movies, Thea Sharrock will be repping Wicked Little Letters, Kitty Green will help launch The Royal Hotel, Ellen Kuras will be there for Lee, Richard Linklater is expected for Hit Man, and Ethan Hawke will in attendance for Wildcat, which he directed, co-wrote and produced.

Some directors attending are also WGA members but will be at the festival “as directors”.

This isn’t an exhaustive list but gives a snapshot of the talent and creatives set to attend TIFF, and some of the knock-on effects of the strikes.

The 48th edition of the Toronto Film Festival runs September 7 – September 17.

Anthony D’Alessandro and Justin Kroll contributed to this report.

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