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July 25 (UPI) -- White Noise, Netflix's upcoming black comedy film from acclaimed director Noah Baumbach, is slated to be the opening film at the 2022 Venice Film Festival. The festival announced Monday that the film, which stars Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Don Cheadle and Jodie Turner-Smith, would have its world premiere at the festivities on Aug. 31.
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Known as one of the three major international film competitions -- along with the Cannes Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival -- this is the first time that a Netflix original will be opening the Venice Film Festival.
Based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Don DeLillo, White Noise will follow a "contemporary American family's attempts to deal with the mundane conflicts of everyday life while grappling with the universal mysteries of love, death, and the possibility of happiness in an uncertain world," according to a synopsis from the festival.
"It is a truly wonderful thing to return to the Venice Film Festival, and an incredible honor to have White Noise play as the opening night film," Baumbach said in a statement. "This is a place that loves cinema so much, and it's a thrill and a privilege to join the amazing films and filmmakers that have premiered here."
"It is a great honor to open the 79th Venice Film Festival with White Noise," said the festival's director, Alberto Barbera. "Baumbach has made an original, ambitious and compelling piece of art which plays with measure on multiple registers: dramatic, ironic, satirical."
"The result is a film that examines our obsessions, doubts, and fears as captured in the 1980's, yet with very clear references to contemporary reality," Barbera added.
The film will be Baumbach's 11th feature, and notably, his first that is based upon a prior work and not an original story. The film is part of an exclusive deal the director inked with Netflix to helm films for several years.
Baumbach also serves as the film's writer and producer.
White Noise will feature a number of the director's frequent collaborators, such as wife Greta Gerwig, with whom he has co-written a number of projects, including Gerwig's highly anticipated Barbie film.
The director is also known for his work with Adam Driver. The actor garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role in Baumbach's 2019 drama Marriage Story, one of six Academy Awards nominations the film would receive.
The film is likely to be one of a number of Netflix-led films that will have their premiere in Venice this year.
This is especially true given that, as Variety noted, the other major European festival, Cannes, requires films to have a French theatrical release followed by a 15-month wait prior to a streaming release.
Venice does not have this type of caveat surrounding their films.
Many other streaming services and studios are set to premiere films at the upcoming competition as well, including MGM, Amazon Prime, Warner Bros., and more.
The 2022 Venice Film Festival will run from Aug. 31 to Sep. 10. The festival's full slate of films will be announced on Tuesday.
