George Clooney and his long-time friend and co-star Brad Pitt take on the roles of criminal “clean-up” specialists in their latest film, a buddy action-comedy set to stream in New Zealand starting September 28. The plot centers around these two professional fixers who usually work solo but find themselves unexpectedly hired for the same job: disposing of a body in a hotel room. This unforeseen collaboration leads to a series of comedic and action-packed events.

Despite the star power of Clooney and Pitt, the film received mixed reviews. The Daily Telegraph described it as a “Diplodocus-footed crime comedy,” critiquing its pacing and humor. One reviewer even noted, “George Clooney recently complained that Quentin Tarantino doesn’t consider him to be a movie star. If he makes many more films like this, Clooney will soon prove Tarantino right.”

This isn’t the first cinematic venture for Clooney and Pitt. The dynamic duo has shared the screen in multiple projects, most notably the Ocean’s heist franchise, including “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001), “Ocean’s Twelve” (2004), and “Ocean’s Thirteen” (2007). They also co-starred in the 2008 dark comedy “Burn After Reading,” while Pitt had a cameo in Clooney’s directorial debut, “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” in 2002. Additionally, they performed together in the 2012 play “8.”

The premiere of their new film was marked by a series of group photos featuring Clooney, Pitt, and their significant others. This event also served as the red carpet debut for Pitt and his girlfriend of about two years, Ines de Ramon. The day before, the Clooneys were seen enjoying a double date with Pitt and de Ramon in Venice.

Addressing recent media reports about their salaries, Clooney clarified, “[It was] an interesting article and whatever her source was for our salary, it is millions and millions and millions of dollars less than what was reported.” He expressed concern that inflated salary figures could harm the industry by setting unrealistic expectations.

Clooney also discussed Apple’s decision to limit the theatrical release of their film “Wolfs” in the US. Instead of a wide release, Apple opted for a limited one-week run in select theaters before making the film available on its streaming service. Clooney found this decision disappointing, stating, “Yes, we wanted it to be released [in theatres].”

Reflecting on his experience with his previous film “The Boys in the Boat,” which was initially for MGM but ended up on Amazon without a foreign release, Clooney remarked on the challenges the film industry faces post-COVID-19. “There are elements of this that we are figuring out. You guys are all in this too. We’re all in this industry and we’re trying to find our way post-Covid and everything else, and so there’s some bumps along the way,” he said.

Despite the setbacks, Clooney remains optimistic that many people will still see the film. “It is a bummer, of course, but on the other hand, a lot of people are going to see the film and we are getting a release in a few hundred theatres, so we’re getting a release. But yeah, it would’ve been nice if we were to have a wide release,” he reiterated.

“Wolfs” also features performances by Amy Ryan, Poorna Jagannathan, and Austin Abrams. Both Clooney and Pitt serve as producers through their production companies, Smokehouse Pictures and Plan B Entertainment.

At the Venice Film Festival, Clooney spoke about the impact of his New York Times op-ed titled “I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.” When asked about it during a press conference for “Wolfs,” Clooney responded candidly: “I’ve never had to answer this question, so I might as well here.”

Known as one of President Joe Biden’s biggest supporters and fundraisers in Hollywood, Clooney’s public stance was seen as influential when Biden chose to leave the race in July and endorse Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate. “The person who should be applauded is the President, who did the most selfless thing that anyone’s done since George Washington,” Clooney told reporters.

Highlighting Biden’s decision to step aside for what he believed was a better path forward, Clooney added, “What should be remembered is the selfless act of someone who – you know, it’s very hard to let go of power. We know that. We’ve seen it all around the world. And for someone to say, ‘I think there’s a better way forward’. All the credit goes to him … And all the rest of it will be long gone and forgotten.”