The Ides of March, the George Clooney–directed adaptation of Beau Willimon’s play Farragut North, will open the Venice Film Festival on August 31, according to Deadline. Ides stars Clooney as a presidential candidate, Phillip Seymour Hoffman as a campaign manager, and Ryan Gosling as the head of media, a man who “falls prey to backroom politics, the manipulations of veteran political operatives, and the seduction of a young intern†during the Ohio primary for the Democratic nomination. Marisa Tomei plays a Times reporter, and Evan Rachel Wood plays an intern. The story is loosely based on Willimon’s experiences on the campaign trail with Howard Dean in 2004. Hopes are high. [Deadline]