The first four episodes of the limited series by Alfonso Cuarón, Disclaimercelebrate their world premiere today at the Venice Film Festival. Oscar winners Cuarón, Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline met with the press before the screening.

The show is Cuarón’s first directorial effort since his 2019 Oscar win for Best Picture. Rome and a rare foray into television.

He wrote and directed the seven-part show based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Renée Knight. The final three episodes will be shown tomorrow in Venice.

The Oscar winner said he approached the production of the series as if he were making a film: “I don’t know how to direct television. It’s probably too late at this stage in my life to learn how to make television… we approached the whole thing as if we were making a film.”

The disadvantage is that filming takes longer, he added.

“It takes longer to make a film, and this was about seven films, so it was a very long process… I really felt sorry for the actors… they were stuck in those roles for far too long.”

Blanchett plays journalist Catherine Ravenscroft, who has built her reputation by exposing the misdeeds and wrongdoings of others. When she receives a novel by an unknown author, she is horrified to discover that she is now the main character in a story that will reveal her darkest secrets.

Kline plays Stephen Brigstocke, a professor emeritus who harbors a grudge against Catherine.

As Catherine tries to uncover the writer’s true identity, she is forced to confront her past before it destroys both her own life and her relationship with her husband Robert (Cohen) and son Nicholas (Smit-McPhee).

Cuarón said he had Blanchett in mind for the role of Catherine Ravenscroft early in the writing process.

“I was terrified she would say no,” he said.

He revealed that it was Blanchett who suggested Kline for the role of the Professor, after a conversation about A fish named Wanda (with the actor in one of his best known roles) at a dinner party in New York.

“It was in a very early conversation with Kate. We talked about how extraordinary this character, Stephen, was and how we had to be specific and not necessarily venture into familiar territory… for some reason you were probably talking about a fish called Wanda, and you called me and said ‘Kevin.’ And I immediately said ‘yes.'”

The ensemble cast also includes Lesley Manville, Louis Partridge, Leila George and Hoyeon. Indira Varma is the narrator.

Disclaimer The first two episodes will premiere on October 11 on Apple TV+, followed by new episodes every Friday until November 15.

The ensemble cast also includes Lesley Manville, Louis Partridge, Leila George and Hoyeon. Indira Varma is the narrator.

From Apple Studios, Disclaimer is co-produced by Esperanto Filmoj and Anonymous Content. Cuarón is an executive producer for Esperanto Filmoj alongside Gabriela Rodriguez. Blanchett, in addition to starring, is an executive producer. David Levine and the late Steve Golin are executive producers for Anonymous Content.

Emmanuel Lubezki, Donald Sabourin and Carlos Morales also serve as executive producers. Renée Knight serves as co-producer. Lubezki and Oscar nominee Bruno Delbonnel are cinematographers. The film’s music is by Finneas O’Connell.