Timothee Chalamet hungry for blood in Venice

Fast becoming the defining Gen Z filmstar, Timothee Chalamet will test the stomachs of his many fans with a bone-crunching, blood-splattered "cannibal romance", premiering in Venice on Friday.

"Bones and All" reunites the 26-year-old with Italian director Luca Guadagnino following their much-loved gay love story "Call Me By Your Name", which earned Chalamet his first Oscar nomination.

But the new film, which is competing at the Venice Film Festival, is a far cry from the gentle, sun-drenched scenes of their previous collaboration.

It sees Chalamet star alongside relative newcomer Taylor Russell as a pair of lovelorn flesh-eaters criss-crossing rural America in the 1980s.

The premiere is set for Thursday evening, but fans were camped out along the red carpet from the early morning, hoping for a glimpse of Chalamet.

The trailer has already earned style points thanks to his grungy ripped-jeans and dyed-mullet look.

'BEING AN OUTCAST'

The 11-day Venice Film Festival runs until September 10, with 23 films competing for the hearts of a jury led by actor Julianne Moore.

Critics have been fairly divided on the entries so far.

There were a mix of gushing and so-so reviews for US satire "White Noise" starring Adam Driver.

And many reviews agreed that "Bardo" -- the latest from Mexico's two-time Oscar-winner Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu -- was ambitious, but "outrageously narcissistic", in the words of The Guardian.

An early frontrunner for best actress award is Cate Blanchett who earned raves for her complex turn as an impassioned but predatory classical music conductor in "Tar".

Despite the gory premise, "Bones and All" looks set to be another touching coming-of-age drama from Guadagnino.

He told Deadline magazine recently that it was the "story of moral struggle about identity and being an outcast" -- which he said connected it to his other movies.

Guadagnino has jumped from comedy dramas such as "A Bigger Splash" with Ralph Fiennes and Tilda Swinton to full-on horror films such as "Suspiria".

Chalamet has become something of a regular on the festival circuit, with a resume already packed with some of the world's top directors.

Last year he was in Cannes for Wes Anderson's "The French Dispatch" and Venice for the premiere of his first major blockbuster lead in "Dune".

Next year, he takes the lead role in "Wonka" in a prequel to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".