WNBA standout Angel Reese made a surprise leap from the hardwood to the silver screen at the Venice International Film Festival. The Chicago Sky forward appears in Kathryn Bigelow’s new political thriller, A House of Dynamite, marking her feature film debut.
The world premiere of A House of Dynamite took place at Venice’s Sala Grande theater on Sept. 2, 2025. The film earned an 11-minute standing ovation. Audience applause followed a scene that featured Reese and Oscar-winning actor Idris Elba together.
Hollywood Reporter first revealed Reese’s cameo. The outlet described a tense White House briefing, which concludes with the president’s agenda item labeled simply as “an ‘Angel Reese thing.’” Reese appears on a basketball court, flanked by young girls, shooting hoops with Elba’s character. They exchange a moment of easy camaraderie about how sports shaped his life — before a crisis suddenly pulls him away.
Reese confirmed the news on her X account. She posted, “Welp the cat is out of the bag” in response to the Hollywood Reporter’s story
A House of Dynamite is directed by Kathryn Bigelow from a script by Noah Oppenheim. The cast features Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Anthony Ramos, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Moses Ingram, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke and others. It will be released in select U.K. theaters starting Oct. 3, followed by a global theatrical release on Oct. 10. The film will begin streaming on Netflix worldwide beginning Oct. 24.