It will be the UK premiere of the comic noir thriller which world premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year.

The 66th edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival will open with the UK premiere of William Friedkin’s Killer Joe.

The comic noir thriller stars Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Gina Gershon and Thomas Haden Church.

French Connection director Friedkin and the cast are expected to attend the opening gala, on June 20. Entertainment One is releasing the film in the UK on June 29. The film world premiered at Venice last year, before going on to screen at the Toronto Film Festival.

The festival’s closing film has already been confirmed as the European premiere of Disney-Pixar’s Brave, on June 30.

Chris Fujiwara, EIFF’s artistic director, said: “For my first year as artistic director, I intend to deliver a diverse programme that will spotlight filmmaking of real artistic distinction. William Friedkin’s exhilarating, intense, and brilliantly crafted film is absolutely in keeping with this ambition.”