Renowned German director Werner Herzog's long-awaited return to narrative filmmaking, Bucking Fastard, has been selected for the main competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival (2-13 September), where it will celebrate its world premiere and compete for the Golden Lion (see the news). The film marks the auteur’s return to Venice after his documentary Ghost Elephants screened out of competition at last year's festival.

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Inspired by the true story of British twin sisters Joan and Jean Holbrooke, Bucking Fastard follows two inseparable siblings who speak in unison, share the same dreams and even fall in love with the same man. Isolated from society and unable to conform to conventional life, they embark on a surreal quest to reach an imaginary land where true love is possible by digging a tunnel through a mountain range. According to the official synopsis, the world is seen not through the sisters' eyes, but through the reactions of those around them – from the courts and the press to the people who seek either to help or exploit them – and "through the eyes of beasts both tame and wild, and even through their own echoes in the core of the earth."

The project is rooted in the extraordinary real-life case of identical twins Greta and Freda Chaplin, whose unusual relationship attracted widespread media attention in Britain during the 1980s, particularly because of their shared obsession with a neighbour, which led to a court case. Herzog first revealed the project in his 2022 memoir Every Man for Himself and God Against All, noting that the title refers to a synchronised slip of the tongue the sisters made during the court proceedings.

Real-life sisters Kate Mara and Rooney Mara will portray Jean Holbrooke and Joan Holbrooke, respectively, marking the first time the sisters have appeared on screen together. Rooney Mara, a two-time Academy Award nominee, is known for her roles in films such as Carol and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and most recently appeared in La Cocina. Kate Mara, known for her performances in House of Cards and Fantastic Four, has recently been seen in the series Imperfect Women. The cast also includes Domhnall Gleeson (The Little Stranger, Ex Machina, and this year's The Incomer) as Timothy, the twins' government-appointed social worker tasked with helping the sisters adapt to modern society, alongside Orlando Bloom (most recently seen in Deep Cover) as their former lover, Gareth Mulroney. The cast also includes Hugh O'Conor, Simon Delaney, Terry McMahon and Shane Connellan.

Bucking Fastard is written and directed by Herzog, whose work has long been celebrated for its depth and philosophical exploration. He is known for films such as Aguirre, the Wrath of God, and Nosferatu the Vampyre. Herzog described Bucking Fastard as completing "an operatic triptych" alongside Fitzcarraldo and Grizzly Man. It is his first fiction feature since 2019's Family Romance, LLC. Earlier this year, Herzog turned down an out-of-competition slot at Cannes for the film.

Principal photography took place in spring 2025 at Dublin's Pigeon House Studios and on location in Dublin, Naas, County Sligo and Slovenia. Herzog reunited with several long-time collaborators, including cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger, editor Marco Capalbo and composer Ernst Reijseger.

Bucking Fastard is produced by Clara Wu Tsai, Werner Herzog, Ariel Leon Isacovitch, and Agnes Chu. Additional producers are Kieran Corrigan, Nick Raslan, Emanuele Moretti, and Andrea Bucko. HanWay Films is handling international sales, while Gersh represents the film in North America.