Benedict Cumberbatch & Sophie Hunter attend Venice ‘Power of the Dog’ premiere

78th Venice Film Festival

I had a little preview of this in yesterday’s post about the Venice Film Festival. Benedict Cumberbatch arrived in the early days of Venice to promote The Power of the Dog, where he plays a cruel cowboy with secrets. The film was directed by Jane Campion and Bendy costars with Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons (a real-life married couple). Bendy also brought his wife Sophie to the Venice premiere! We haven’t seen Sophie in a while! The last time she attended a premiere with Bendy, it was the 2019 premiere of The Current War.

Sophie wore Emilia Wickstead – a very happy, bright look. Sophie got it just right? She’s not overdressed, she’s not “competing” with Benedict’s female costar, and she looks good next to Bendy. I mean, he always looks sort of awkward with her, like he’s an alien trying to replicate human affection. But it’s fine, he knows she’s loyal and faithful. They’ve mostly figured it out. They’ve been married for over six years. Three sons as well: Christopher (Kit), Hal Auden and Finn Cumberbatch. He really kept her knocked up, didn’t he?

78th Venice Film Festival

78th Venice Film Festival

Kirsten Dunst wore Armani to the premiere. Many of the models who attended the first night’s premiere wore Armani and all of those gowns sucked. I’m kind of wondering if Armani held back all of their good dresses for the A-listers, because this gown is pretty great. Shocked that she’s not in Rodarte!

78th Venice Film Festival

Jane Campion, Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst attend the red carpet of the movie 'The Power of the Dog' during the 78th Venice International Film Festival

Bonus Batch photos:

78th Venice Film Festival, photocall of film The Power of the Dog, Venice, Italy

78th Venice Film Festival, photocall of film The Power of the Dog, Venice, Italy

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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49 Responses to “Benedict Cumberbatch & Sophie Hunter attend Venice ‘Power of the Dog’ premiere”

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  1. Bryn says:

    Wasn’t Kirsten pregnant not too long ago? She must have had her baby. She looks stunning.

  2. sally says:

    The dress is perfect for Kirsten, she looks amazing. Love Sophie’s dress too, it’s a bit tight around the bust, but also really cute for her. Cumberknuckle is going to Cumberknuckle.

    • The Hench says:

      Agree. Think both Kirsten and Sophie look lovely. Mrs Cumberbatch generally does always look good on the red carpet, imo.

  3. ThEHufflepuffLizLemon says:

    I’m now remembering all the insanity around their initial relationship and how so many people made accusations about her… how lovely that they seem to have a nice, settled life that doesn’t involve stans making their life hell 24-7.
    Kiki looks gorgeous and that is my favorite neckline-I have a bathing suit with a similar style and I absolutely love it. (It’s from Mazu Swim and I highly recommend their stuff. Flattering, comfy, and gorgeous patterns.)

    • Cellmate says:

      They still make those accusations, whenever the official ‘The Power of the Dog’ twitter posts something new, the crazies are in the mentions with their ‘#freebenedict’ nonsense and write despicable comments about his wife.

      There is this awesome (also scary) article in the Atlantic about this subset of his fans: HOW A FAKE BABY IS BORN (https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/07/fake-pregnancy-celebrity-theories-benedict-cumberbacth-babygate/614089/)

      Those people have tracked their every move, say that his children are fake, that his wife abuses him etc. Unfortunately, this is happening to many male actors these days…

    • Anony83 says:

      Also, I’m not surprised that they had their kids in such short succession. If you’re their age and you want more than one or two kids, you basically have to hop to it. They must have wanted a big family.

      I’m so thrilled for him that he’s in this stage of life now. He was always such a good sport about it all but it must be draining to be the It Guy in certain types of fandom.

  4. girl_ninja says:

    Kristen looks so good. She’s always been such a beauty and this life as a mother and wife has her at next level glowing. I hope that she is happy with her Jesse and her babies.

  5. CommentingBunny says:

    I love Sophie’s dress to an unreasonable degree. It’s colourful and cheerful and POCKETS! I wonder where I could find an affordable version!

    • North of Boston says:

      The pockets! Yes!

      I wish there were more beautiful dresses, and women’s clothes in general, with actual pockets.

    • Ravensdaughter says:

      She looks lovely and perfect and OMG pockets! That’s icing on the cake.

  6. MsIam says:

    I like both dresses but they look like they are for two different events. Sophie’s looks like it’s for a spring formal while Kirstin looks totally Vegas glam. They are both beautiful dresses though and they look good. But the other lady (Jane?) looks like she’s wearing the top half of a jogging suit.

  7. CidyKitty(CidySmiley) says:

    I love both gowns! They both look stunning. That kissing photo makes Bendy look more and more like a robot who is trying so hard to be human lol

  8. Mary Mae says:

    I wonder if he looks nervous on the red carpet with his wife due to him knowing he’s got some certified crazies watching him. Even though the general BC hoopla has died down, I’m sure those types make it known they’re still very interested in ways that make him uncomfortable. Which is really terrible for him and his family.

    I didn’t realize they were up to three kids though. Good for them. And whenever I see Sophie in a dress, my first thought is that dress has pockets, doesn’t it…which I love.

    • Cath says:

      I doubt he cares about the few leftover SophieBatch deniers (or whatever they are). He doesn’t loose any sleep over them, nor will he bestow the overprotective fans with extra attention and affection. No matter how much they overly demonstratively express their love for Mrs. Cumberbatch and him as a couple.

    • whoop says:

      “Even though the general BC hoopla has died down, I’m sure those types make it known they’re still very interested in ways that make him uncomfortable.”

      Doubtful. The Cumberfever died a looooong time ago. He’s no longer the internet’s boyfriend. I’d say the title now belongs to assorted korean popstars and Timothee Chalamet or Tom Holland.

    • Claudia says:

      I was gonna say she always wears dresses with pockets and I love it!

      Didn’t know they had three kids already, wow…

  9. Kristen says:

    I really like them as a couple when they come out together, but at the same time I keep forgetting that he’s married.

    • Cee says:

      It was the fact that she was given a complete makeover and her CV was fluffed up that did it for me. Like she wasn’t good enough for him as she was, accomplishments and all. It was a terrible look for someone who’s always said he is a feminist and put me off him.

  10. Maxime duCamp says:

    I love the fit of the dress and think that it’s lovely on her but is anyone else bothered by how the pattern doesn’t line up in the center of the top (would that be called the bodice?). I’m assuming that this is an expensive, designer gown and my understand is lining up patterns at the seams is a mark of fine quality and craftsmanship. It’s v. distracting because it’s literally front and center.

    • Zero says:

      Yes, me too. Also – originally thought pattern was lobsters 🦞 Still quite a lovely look

    • JanetDR says:

      I feel like anyone who sews their own clothes wouldn’t have let that happen, but it’s a nice dress and she looks pretty and comfortable!

    • Ainsley7 says:

      The patterns not matching up makes the design look cheap. Wickstead shouldn’t have chosen this print if she couldn’t make sure the seams would match. I hate how lazy/cheap some designers have gotten.

  11. ClaireB says:

    I’m sorry to hear about their crazy fans and I’m glad they look happy and settled, but the similarity of their facial features around the eyes always freaked me out. They look too closely related.

  12. Lila says:

    I’m glad to hear about Finn (baby 3)! I remembered Sophie showing up at a red carpet with a bump but never announcing a birth. I’d been a little worried she miscarried. Glad it was just the Cumberbatches being private. They do a good job keeping stuff locked down.

  13. Anne Call says:

    That picture of Jane Campion (assuming that is her) just made me happy that I’ve let my hair grow out and turn its natural grey/white. She looks fabulous.

  14. House of No says:

    Good gowns all around.

  15. Natalie says:

    To be honest, the whole shitshow about them when they first got public, put me off him and she just rubs me the wrong way. I’m not talking about the absolute inapproriate and deranged self-named “fans”. That was awful on a whole other level.

    It’s just the way she was elevated and her CV was polished. Like the work she has done so far was just not good enough and honestly… yes, it wasn’t that much. But that’s okay too. Whatever works for one’s live, as long as it doesn’t harm others, right?

    Honestly, I just like them anymore. He was cool as Sherlock, but the whole chemistry vanished with his Academy Awards campaign. Everything was forced.

    • Granger says:

      I’d forgotten about the scrubbed CV! Anyone know what she’s been up to lately, besides having/raising kids? There was such a huge deal made of the fact that she was an opera director, or something like that, but you don’t hear much about her career anymore.

      (And I still remember how much people crapped all over her as a person, and her relationship with Bendy. It happened on this site, too — it wasn’t just the crazy fan base on other sites.)

      • ncboudicca says:

        It’s true, some of us had some fun at her/their expense back then. She got the last laugh on me, though (not that she would care what a random person thinks) because I used to laugh at her long dresses with pockets, but now I realize how flipping awesome they actually are.

  16. Sof says:

    I wish actors and actresses were allowed to live their lives as they please without being worried about crazy fans attacking their significant others.
    I like both dresses, Kirsten’s looks like a goth version of a Rodarte to be honest.

    • Kace says:

      Do you realize the irony of this comment on a site dedicated to gossip including what you’re talking should be off limits? 🙄

      • Sof says:

        No irony at all, gossip doesn’t have to be unjustifiably malicious. Trashing someone just because they are dating a famous person you like is not gossip. And I’m talking about the extreme cases were fans threatened to harm them.

  17. North of Boston says:

    They looked lovely together!

    I really liked both KD and SH’s outfits. They were very different, but each on seemed to suit the event/day. Venice is always its own thing, because although it’s an ‘elegant’ film festival, it’s also in Venice, and warm and sunny with people sometimes coming and going by boat, so it has a less stuffy or evening wear feel to it and both women’s dresses/styling fit that. I spent some time trying to figure out how KD’s did so, because “long black dress” doesn’t sound like a look that would fit. But hers absolutely does … I think it’s a combination of the fabric, the illusion of floaty layers and the playful details, and how well she is wearing it.

    Jane Campion has had her own style in Venice and it really seems to suit her. I smiled at one dress she wore to an event that seemed like a regular long black dress until she held her arms out to reveal it had a dramatic, artistic pattern that spanned the whole thing.

  18. WintryMix says:

    Someone once pointed out to me how similar the Cumberbatches’ faces are to each other, and I’ve never been able to un-see it. That does happen with couples sometimes.

  19. Sarah I says:

    I loved Cumbie’s wife’s dress. So refreshing and flattering. I’ve been wanting to make dresses lately. I used to make my clothes in high school. I just adored the old Project Runway shows. I don’t know if I will get into it again, but I want to make some fall dresses with long sleeves and POCKETS!!!!

    I was the only girl in school that had 4 to 5 inch hems, because my mother was very far thinking and said that the hems are going to drop. That was when mini skirts were in. (not for high schoolers)

  20. Barbie1 says:

    Sweet pics

  21. whoop says:

    I don’t follow his career, but it seems to me he has mellowed out? Like, he’s no longer as thirsty as he was during his off-putting Oscar campaign? Maybe he just hides it better, now.

    Every time I see him as he is it shocks me how unattractive I find him, tbh. I totally drool over him as Doctor Strange, but all his other looks just don’t do it for me at all.

  22. irene adler says:

    I’m gonna call it now after seeing more pics from Venice…I think Sophie’s pregnant again and has finally learned how to conceal a bump until they want to reveal it.

    Great timing since he’s very likely going to get nominated for another Oscar for Power of the Dog based on reviews.

  23. Jo73c says:

    I keep misreading the title as “The Power of Dong”