Nicole Kidman Stirs Venice Festival with Erotic Drama ‘Babygirl’ Premiere

Nicole Kidman returned to the Venice Film Festival on Friday for the world premiere of “Babygirl,” an erotic drama about a powerful CEO who jeopardizes her career and family life by having an affair with a younger intern. Directed by Halina Reijn, known for “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” the film draws inspiration from erotic thrillers by Paul Verhoeven and Adrian Lyne. Antonio Banderas portrays Kidman’s character’s husband, while Harris Dickinson plays the intern.

Reijn’s director’s statement highlights the affair central to “Babygirl” as a means for characters Romy and Samuel to explore issues of power, gender, age, hierarchy, and primal instinct. “Despite its forbidden nature, the joy of that exploration is liberating, even healing,” she wrote.

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“Babygirl” is competing at the Venice Film Festival alongside films such as “Maria,” “The Room Next Door,” “Queer,” and “Joker: Folie à Deux,” with winners to be announced on September 7.

Kidman, who first came to Venice 25 years ago with Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut,” admits she still feels some nerves about this film despite her long history with challenging roles. “I’ve made some films that are pretty exposing, but not like this,” she told Vanity Fair recently.

A24 will release “Babygirl” in theaters on December 25.