Warren Beatty’s ‘Rules Don’t Apply’ to Open AFI Fest 2016

Rules Don’t Apply, written, directed, produced and starring cinematic icon Warren Beatty, has been chosen to open the 2016 AFI Film Fest in Hollywood, California, marking the film’s world premiere. The film marks the first time Beatty has appeared in a feature film in fifteen years (last time was the 2001 debacle Town and Country) and eighteen years since he last directed one (Bullworth in 1998, where Beatty earned an Oscar nomination for co-penning the screenplay). This Opening Night Gala presentation for AFI Fest 2016 will be held on November 10th, at the historic at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre.

In the film, Beatty portrays eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes (last personified on screen in The Aviator through Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar nominated performance) and offers a seemingly affectionate throwback in staging a relationship that develops between two young people under Hughes’ employ: aspiring actress Marla (Lily Collins, Mirror, Mirror) and ambitious driver Frank (Alden Ehrenreich, Hail, Caesar! standout and future Han Solo). The sprawling ensemble cast includes Candice Bergen, Alec Baldwin, Steve Coogan, Ed Harris, Haley Bennett, Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, Taissa Farmiga, Megan Hilty, Oliver Platt, Martin Sheen and Annette Bening. Beatty wrote the film from a story be him and Bo Goldman. Arnon Milchan (The Revenant, 12 Years a Slave) serves as one of the film’s producers.

Due to AFI Fest’s placement in the calendar year, the festival marks one of the last places a film can sneak in a premiere in an effort to boost potential awards momentum. Last year, notably, The Big Short made it’s world premiere at AFI Fest on way to five Oscar nominations and an eventual screenplay win. The year before, AFI provided the exclusives for eventual Best Picture nominees American Sniper and Selma (albeit both in the form of secret screenings). We will soon see if Rules Don’t Apply fits in that club. AFI Fest runs November 10–17, 2016.

Fox will release Rules Don’t Apply in theaters on November 23rd. Check out the trailer below.