Venice Film Festival heats up with McDonagh’s 'Wild Horse Nine' and Herzog’s 'Bucking Fastard'

VENICE, Italy (AP) — The Venice Film Festival is in full swing with the world premieres of the dark CIA comedy “Wild Horse Nine” and Werner Herzog’s “Bucking Fastard” Thursday evening on the Lido.

“Wild Horse Nine,” which was written and directed by Martin McDonagh, is one of the higher-profile films launching at the 83rd edition of the festival. The film stars Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich as CIA agents who are dispatched to Easter Island shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup. It will have a theatrical release later this fall, and, if McDonagh’s track record is any indication, might be an awards player.

McDonagh’s previous two films, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” both bowed at Venice and went on to receive multiple Oscar nominations, including best picture. “Three Billboards” won two, for Rockwell and Frances McDormand.

“Bucking Fastard” is more of a mystery. The Werner Herzog-directed film features Rooney Mara and Kate Mara as twin sisters whose physical and mental codependency becomes a source of public fascination. A synopsis says “they speak in unison, love the same man, and have the same dreams.”

Both films are competing for the Golden Lion, along with Danny Boyle’s Rupert Murdoch film “Ink” and the Gaza-focused documentary “NAZA.”

The Maggie Gyllenhaal-led jury will announce the winners in a Sept. 12 ceremony.

For coverage of the 2026 Venice Film Festival, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/venice-film-festival

Jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal poses for photographers at the opening ceremony and the red carpet for the film 'Ink' during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (Photo by Alessandra Tarantino/Invision/AP)

Lena Herzog, left, and Werner Herzog pose for photographers at the opening ceremony and the red carpet for the film 'Ink' during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid opened a disciplinary proceeding against defender Raúl Asencio after his DUI conviction, coach José Mourinho said on Thursday.

“While the proceeding is open I see him as a Real Madrid player,” Mourinho said. "He’s injured and will continue to be sidelined for a couple of weeks. That helps me not to have to deal with this problem now.”

Asencio hasn't played this season because of a muscle injury.

A Spanish court said the 23-year-old Asencio was ordered to pay a fine and had his license suspended for the DUI incident this month. Separately, Asencio was facing allegations for allegedly distributing a sex video without the consent of those involved back in 2023. Court proceedings on that case were expected this week.

“He’s an exemplary professional. While he was fit, nobody trained harder or better than him," Mourinho said. " Now he’s the first to arrive and the last to leave. But a Real Madrid player is a Real Madrid player 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 12 months a year. Everything you do off the field is still about Real Madrid. It still damages the prestige of a club that is untouchable. I’m not happy, and everyone makes mistakes, but accumulated mistakes are different.”

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

FILE - Real Madrid's Raul Asencio celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Levante in Madrid, Spain, on Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton, File)