Coen Brothers' new film Hail, Caesar! will receive UK premiere at Glasgow Film Festival

Charlie Kaufman's Anomalisa will also screen as part of the festival's closing gala

George Cloonet in 'Hail, Caesar!'

The Coen Brothers' new film Hail, Caesar! will receive its UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival. 

The screwball comedy will open the festival on 17 February, having received its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on 11 Feb.

Joel and Ethan Coen's film turns its gaze back to the closing days of Hollywood's Golden Age, as an ex-private detective, turned Hollywood "fixer" (Josh Brolin), is tasked with ensuring the return of missing star Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), kidnapped off the set of a Roman epic by a mysterious group named The Future. The movie also stars Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, and Channing Tatum. 



Closing the festival is Charlie Kaufman's critically exalted animation Anomalisa; having already won the Grand Special Jury Prize 2015 at the Venice Film Festival, it's a frontrunner for the Academy Awards' Best Animation category. 

Both mark an incredible grab for the Scottish film festival, a relative newbie on the scene with only 12 years under its belt. "We like to open the festival with something special to build audience excitement for the fortnight of films to come, and Hail, Caesar! is as big and beautiful a film as you can get", remarked Festival Co-Director, Allison Gardner. 

"We are absolutely delighted to be screening the Coens’ wonderful, all-star salute to Old Hollywood, and especially privileged to be hosting the film’s UK premiere. A rollicking good time to be had by everyone!"

The Glasgow Film Festival runs from 17-28 February.