George Clooney and Brad Pitt – the greatest A-list double act in Hollywood – held the Venice film festival in the palm of their hand today as they premiered their new caper film, Wolfs.
In the film they play criminal ‘clean up’ specialists who are unexpectedly hired for the same job – disposing of a body in a hotel room.
Clooney, 63, joked of Pitt, who is three years his junior: ‘He’s 74 years old so he’s very lucky at this age to be working.’
And he joked of their reunion: ‘The restraining order ran out. No, it was just cash, money will do it.’
Pitt and Clooney were reportedly paid $35 million each to act in the caper film, and had insisted on a release in cinemas.
George Clooney and Brad Pitt – the greatest A-list double act in Hollywood – held the Venice film festiva l in the palm of their hand today (pictured)
In the film they play criminal ‘clean up’ specialists who are unexpectedly hired for the same job – disposing of a body in a hotel room (Wolfs stock image)
But makers Apple had a change of heart and the film, which insiders say cost up to $200 million all in, is now only being released in cinemas in the US for one week.
In all other territories it will go straight to streaming, making it easily the most expensive TV film ever made.
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Apple’s change of heart follows a run of expensive films made by the streamer – including Napoleon, Killers of the Flower Moon and Argylle – all flopping at the cinema.
Clooney denied that their fees were as high as $35 million, saying the true figure was ‘many many millions below’ that amount.
But he added that it was a ‘bummer’ the way it had worked out.
He said: ‘We would have liked that, we wanted that, and Brad and I gave some of our salary back to do that. We have had some bumps along the way, and that happens.
‘It’s a bummer, of course it’s a bummer, but a lot of people are going to see the film and we are getting a release in a few hundred theatres. It would have been nice to get a wider release.’
He said that the economics of streaming are still being ‘figured out’ but added: ‘We are figuring it out. We need Apple and Amazon and they need Sony or Warners who have been doing it for 100 years.’
Clooney, 63, joked of Pitt, who is three years his junior: ‘He’s 74 years old so he’s very lucky at this age to be working’
Clooney and Pitt arriving at the lido in Venice ahead of their premiere
Pitt said: ‘I love the existence of the streamers because we get to see more story more talent and it gets seen by more eyes as well but it’s a delicate balance.’
Asked what the fact that a film with two huge stars was going straight to streaming said Clooney deadpanned: ‘Clearly we are in decline.’
The two men have been friends for decades and last worked together 15 years ago in the movie Burn After Reading.
Clooney said: ‘In Burn After Reading I got the extreme pleasure of shooting him in the face and we thought maybe we would try it 15 years later.
Brad and I have been doing this a long time separately and together. Over a period of time its worked pretty well. It felt like that banter, the way we blast at each other all the time, just felt easy.’
The two men have been friends for decades and last worked together 15 years ago in the movie Burn After Reading (pictured in Oceans 13 in 2007)
The two men are now planning to act in a sequel and Pitt said: ‘We figured there had to be a good reason to get into a film together, something that we could build upon. I also have to say that as I have got older working with people who I enjoy spending time with has become really important to me.’
Apple, which funded the project has splashed out over £1 million on hiring the entirety of the Cipriani hotel for Pitt, Clooney and friends over the weekend.
These friends include Clooney’s agent Bryan Lourd, who accompanied Amal to a dinner on Saturday night, and the Apple boss Tim Cook, who previously spent time with the Clooneys at their holiday home on Lake Como.
They also include the films director Jon Watt who was absent after contracting Covid while in Venice and has now flown home.