Hail, Caesar: New George Clooney film to open Glasgow festival

George Clooney's latest film Hail, Caesar! will open the Glasgow film festival that is scheduled to start on 17 February. The film is a star-studded comedy from the renowned film-makers Joel and Ethan Coen.

It stars Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes, Channing Tatum and Agyness Deyn. The film is set in Hollywood during the 1950s, which is considered the Golden Age of Hollywood, reports BT.

Allison Gardner, the festival's co-director said they wanted to open the festival with something special to build audience excitement for the fortnight of films to come. "...and Hail, Caesar! is as big and beautiful a film as you can get. We are absolutely delighted to be screening the Coens' wonderful, all-star salute to Old Hollywood, and especially privileged to be hosting the film's UK premiere. A rollicking good time to be had by everyone!"

The Coen Brothers comedy narrates a day in the life of a studio fixer on the set of a Roman epic. The Scotsman reports that Clooney and Swinton — who previously starred in Burn After Reading — might appear on the red carpet in Glasgow. Talks are also underway to bring Joel and Ethan Coen to the festival for the first time.

Meanwhile, the festival authorities have already announced that Vic Armstrong, one of Hollywood's leading stuntmen, will introduce a special 35th anniversary screening of the first Indiana Jones film, Raiders Of The Lost Ark at the event. It will be shown at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum prior to the late-night screening of the horror classic Silence Of The Lambs.

Allison Gardner also added that Charlie Kaufman, the writer behind hits like Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, will close the festival with his new "stop-motion" animated feature Anomalisa. The festival ends on 28 February.