John Malkovich Downplays ‘Wild Horse Nine’ Oscar Buzz and Has No Plans to Stop Acting: ‘They’ll Retire Me When It’s Time’ — SkimNews
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- John Malkovich downplayed Oscar buzz for 'Wild Horse Nine' at its Venice press conference, saying 'the nicest thing is the film getting attention' rather than personal recognition.
- Malkovich, 72, said he has no plans to retire: 'They'll retire me when it's time... That seems to be the natural course of things.'
- 'Wild Horse Nine' was written and directed by Martin McDonagh and co-stars Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi; the film premieres Thursday at Venice and competes for the Golden Lion.
- The dark comedy is set in the 1970s and follows two CIA officers (Malkovich and Rockwell) dispatched to Easter Island shortly before the Chilean military coup that overthrew socialist president Salvador Allende.
- McDonagh said he uses films to 'question authority,' citing interest in CIA activities over the past 50 years, including events in Guatemala, the Congo, and the Bay of Pigs.
- Malkovich has earned two Academy Award nominations across his decades-long career — for 'Dangerous Liaisons' and 'In the Line of Fire' — but has never won.
- McDonagh's two prior Venice premieres, 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' (2017) and 'The Banshees of Inisherin' (2022), both became major Oscar contenders; 'Three Billboards' won two Oscars.
Why it matters: Malkovich has two Oscar nominations without a win, and McDonagh's prior Venice films both became major Oscar contenders — making the awards conversation around this one grounded in the filmmaker's track record. McDonagh also frames the film as a pointed critique of CIA covert operations in Guatemala, the Congo, and the Bay of Pigs.
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