Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, Jeremy Renner and Sarah Jessica Parker are set for informal conversations at the Red Sea Film Festival for the fourth edition of the indie film showcase in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, organizers said Thursday.
The Red Sea event also announced new “In Conversation With…” sessions with Oscar winner Brendan Fraser and Indian cinema star Shraddha Kapoor (Stree 2).
The latest wave of speakers set to share stories about their careers and lives includes Erivo, who plays Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande as Glinda in Wicked, which is based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire and tells the backstory of the witches of Oz.
Fraser is headed to Saudi Arabia amid a career resurgence after his performance in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, the drama that re-opened Hollywood’s eyes to the actor’s talents. Parker is iconic for Carrie Bradshaw, one of four principal stars of the landmark HBO comedy series Sex and the City, as well as its two big-screen adaptations and sequel series And Just Like That.
The Avengers star Renner had a brush with death on New Year’s Day in 2023 and has since recovered and returned to lead the Paramount+ series Mayor of Kingstown.
Bollywood star Shraddha Kapoor is coming off stand-out success in Stree 2, where she starred opposite Varun Dhawan.
The Red Sea festival, which opens Thursday night and runs through to Dec. 14, announced earlier “In Conversation With…” sessions with Emily Blunt, Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Nick Jonas, Olivia Wilde and Michelle Yeo, Oscar winner for Everything Everywhere All at Once and star of Wicked.