Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s star-studded wedding celebrations in Venice have begun, with VIP guests including the Kardashians descending on the Italian city.

The billionaire Amazon founder and his journalist fiancee waved to onlookers as they left a luxury hotel to travel to their pre-wedding reception by water taxi on Thursday evening.

Hollywood star Orlando Bloom was seen flashing a peace sign to fans as he left Venice’s Gritti Palace Hotel and he was soon followed by TV presenter Oprah Winfrey, who smiled and waved.

Kim and Khloe Kardashian travelled to the reception with their mother Kris Jenner – who snapped a picture of the pair on a water taxi – and other notable figures in town for the nuptials include Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.

Some 200-250 A-list guests from showbusiness, politics and finance are expected to attend the events, with the wedding and its parts estimated to cost €40m-€48m (£34m-£41m).

Bezos, his soon-to-be wife and their famous guests have taken over numerous locations in the city, with the couple staying in the luxury Aman hotel, where rooms go for at least €4,000 per night.

The first of the weekend’s many wedding parties is taking place in the cloisters of Madonna dell’Orto, a medieval church that hosts masterpieces by 16th century painter Tintoretto.

While the couple and their A-list guests were all smiles, some in Venice are not happy about the wedding – with protesters seeing it as an example of the city being gift-wrapped for ultra-rich outsiders.

Read more: Why are activists protesting the wedding?

An activist climbed one of the poles in the main St Mark’s Square on Thursday, unfurling a banner which said: “The 1% ruins the world.”

Elsewhere, a life-size mannequin of Bezos clutching an Amazon box was dropped into one of the city’s famous canals.

In a bid to keep demonstrators away from Thursday’s party, the city council banned pedestrians and water traffic from the area surrounding the venue, from 4.30pm local time to midnight.

The couple will exchange their vows on Friday, on the small island of San Giorgio, opposite St Mark’s Square.

Another party will follow on Saturday – the venue for which was changed at the last-minute earlier this week.

The director of the next James Bond film has been announced.

Denis Villeneuve – a four-time Academy Award nominee who earned critical acclaim for the Dune Franchise and Blade Runner 2049 – said the role is a “massive responsibility”.

The Canadian filmmaker described himself as a “diehard” fan since childhood, adding that it is a “huge honour” to come on board.

“Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr No with Sean Connery,” Villeneuve said.

Reassuring fans, the director continued: “To me, he’s sacred territory. I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come.”

His appointment comes as the British spy franchise experiences a major overhaul, with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson handing over creative control to Amazon MGM Studios.

The Broccoli family have long been the force behind the Bond films, and now co-own the intellectual property.

Two recently appointed producers – Spider-Man’s Amy Pascal and Harry Potter’s David Heyman – said securing a director and developing a screenplay were top priorities before deciding who would succeed Daniel Craig in the role.

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After Amazon takeover, what happens to James Bond?
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The head of Amazon MGM Studios, Mike Hopkins, described Villeneuve as a “cinematic master whose filmography speaks for itself”.

He added: “Denis has delivered compelling worlds, dynamic visuals, complex characters, and – most importantly – the immersive storytelling that global audiences yearn to experience in theatres.

“James Bond is in the hands of one of today’s greatest filmmakers and we cannot wait to get started on 007’s next adventure.”

Richard E Grant has shared an emotional video of his trip to Barry – the town made famous by the hit TV show Gavin And Stacey.

He was joined by the show’s co-creator Ruth Jones, who is best known for playing Nessa.

They are both filming a new drama called The Other Bennet Sister, which delves into a character in Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice.

Grant excitedly said “oh my god” as he stood outside Stacey’s family home – and headed across the road to Uncle Bryn’s.

A trip to Barry Island soon followed to visit some of the sitcom’s most famous landmarks, including Marco’s Cafe and the beachfront.

And the actor’s visit wouldn’t have been complete without Jones putting on her best Nessa voice – and asking: “Oh, Rich, what’s occurin’?

“It’s really emotional being here,” Grant said.

“The last months of my wife’s life, we watched Gavin And Stacey on repeat – and it just cheered us up endlessly.”

In 2021, Grant announced that his wife Joan Washington had died – eight months after she was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.

At the time, he described his family’s loss as “incalculable”.