Clooney, Pitt join Toronto guest list

TORONTO -- The 36th annual Toronto Film Festival has announced a stellar roster of celebrated thesps, directors and industry honchos expected to hit the red carpet next month in support of Hollywood fare and an array of in-play indie pics.Thesps George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Clive Owen, Jason Statham, Ewan McGregor, Jon Hamm and Viggo Mortensen should stir up shutterbug excitement, as will leading ladies Rachel Weisz, Keira Knightley, Abbie Cornish, Carey Mulligan, Megan Fox, Jennifer Hudson and Michelle Yeoh. International stars lighting up the fest's downtown hub include Catherine Deneuve, Freida Pinto, Akshay Kumar, Jeon Do-Yeon, Isabelle Huppert, Jean Dujardin, Alessandra Negrini, Shahid Kapoor and Alexander Skarsgard.U.S. filmmakers Francis Ford Coppola, Alexander Payne, Davis Guggenheim, Jonathan Demme, James Franco, Madonna, Gus Van Sant and Joel Schumacher are on deck to present new pics, while Luc Besson, Michael Winterbottom, Nadine Labaki, Steve McQueen, Joseph Cedar, Nanni Moretti and Wim Wenders are among hundreds of international helmers landing with fresh work. The Canadian contingent includes directors Sarah Polley, David Cronenberg, Mary Harron, Guy Maddin, Lea Pool, Philippe Falardeau, Jean-Marc Vallee and Mike Clattenburg, while the spotlight illuminates Canuck thesps Christopher Plummer, Seth Rogan, Scott Speedman, Sarah Gadon, Pascale Bussieres and Patrick Huard.U2, Pearl Jam, Neil Young and Paul Williams will also rock the launches of world-preeming docus exploring their on-going work and musical legacies. The festival runs Sept. 8-18. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com