Winona Ryder is Ice Queen at Venice

Winona Ryder was an ice queen on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival, for the premiere of her new movie The Iceman.

The 40-year-old Black Swan actress was cool and elegant in a black strapless Dolce & Gabbana gown at the screening of the thriller based on the true story of notorious contract killer and family man Richard Kuklinski.

Winona was joined on the red carpet by co-stars Ray Liotta, Michael Shannon, Another Earth actress Brit Marling and director Ariel Vromen.

Ariel has revealed he fought for years to get Michael to star in the movie, fending off "more obvious choices".

The actor plays a Mafia hit man, a killer-for-hire who conceals the truth of his occupation from his picture-perfect suburban family in The Iceman.

He said he wanted the actor because "he comes with a darkness," explaining it was more effective to "make that darkness more refined" than to "bring someone who is very cheesy" and try to add it.

Winona plays his unsuspecting wife and Ray stars as the Mafia boss who recognises hit man potential.

The movie also stars David Schwimmer, Chris Pine, Stephen Dorff and James Franco, with its release date still set to be confirmed.