The Favourite, starring Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, to open 2018 New York Film Festival

Yorgos Lanthimos’  The Favourite, starring Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Olivia Colman is set to open the 2018 New York Film Festival. The 56th edition of the festival will be organised by the Film Society of Lincoln Center at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall on 28 September .

“It’s a great privilege to be showing The Favourite for the opening night of the New York Film Festival, which is a very special place for the film,” Lanthimos said in a press statement. “I had a wonderful experience screening The Lobster at this distinct festival and I’m looking forward to sharing The Favourite with audiences in New York. I was envisioning this film for many years and eventually had a lot of fun making it.”

The Fox Searchlight title will make its New York debut and is already expected to screen in Venice.

The Favourite follows the court wranglings of Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough ( played by Rachel Weisz) and her servant Abigail Hill ( played by Emma Stone) as they jockey for position with Queen Anne ( played by Olivia Colman).

The movie marks Yorgos return to the festival following The Lobster in 2015 and is the latest NYFF opener following Last Flag Flying, 13TH, The Walk, Gone Girl, Captain Phillips, and Life of Pi. Last year, the New York Film Festival kicked off with Last Flag Flying, a Richard Linklater dramedy that came-and-went without making much of a stir.

(With inputs from Indo-Asian News Service)