'The Ides of March' kicks off the 68th Venice Film Festival

George Clooney's political drama The Ides of March will officially open the 68th edition of the Venice Film Festival tonight, just after the opening ceremony which will take place at the Lido's Sala Grande at 7 pm.

The film is a screen adaptation, co-written by Clooney and Grant Heslov, of Beau Willimon's stage-play Farragut North, which was based on Willimon's experience as an aide during the unsuccessful 2004 presidential campaign of Democrat politician Howard Dean. It features an all-star cast which includes director Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood.

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'Carnage' trailer

From Vivien Leigh taking on then unknown Jessica Tandy's Blanche Du Bois in A Streetcar Named Desire to Meryl Streep replacing Cherry Jones, who had originated the role of Sister Aloysius in the Broadway run of Doubt: A Parable, Hollywood has always played it safe in the stage-to-screen jump, choosing acclaimed screen actors over original stage performers.

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