Cannes Film Festival Starts to Take Shape: Spike Lee, Wes Anderson, Kristen Stewart, Jim Jarmusch, Ari Aster, Richard Linklater Vying for Competition Slots

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As the Cannes Film Festival is about to arrive, everyone, including Thierry Fremaux, the artistic director, and film enthusiasts worldwide, are eagerly wondering: What will be this year’s standout film, akin to last year’s “Anora”?

Prior to the press conference for Cannes Film Festival, which takes place next month, the official lineup remains under development, with limited trustworthy details emerging about the films that have been selected so far. In truth, by last Friday, it seems that only three movies have thus far received an invitation to compete in Cannes. EbMaster has learned that one of these is Jim Jarmusch’s highly anticipated film titled “Father Mother Sister Brother“, starring Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver, and Tom Waits.

In its latest installment, the festival that Fremaux had anticipated might be slightly less strong due to the effects of two consecutive Hollywood strikes, surprisingly exceeded expectations. The finale was headlined by Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning film “Anora,” which later won the Best Picture Oscar. Additionally, Cannes Festival played host to the premieres of some of the most acclaimed films from the upcoming award seasons such as “Emilia Pérez,” “The Substance,” and “Flow.”

OR

Despite Fremaux’s warning that the festival might be slightly less powerful due to the double Hollywood strikes, its last edition was anything but weak. It was headlined by Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning “Anora,” which went on to win the Best Picture Oscar. Moreover, it saw the premieres of award season favorites like “Emilia Pérez,” “The Substance” and “Flow.”

OR

Contrary to Fremaux’s prediction that the festival could be somewhat less impactful due to two Hollywood strikes, its final installment was far from weak. Led by Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning film “Anora,” which eventually won the Best Picture Oscar, it also showcased some of the most anticipated films of the upcoming award seasons such as “Emilia Pérez,” “The Substance” and “Flow.”

2025’s festival promises to be an exciting extravaganza, as one source confided in EbMaster that it “seems reminiscent of the first festival after a significant event,” hinting at numerous prominent entries and a competitive struggle for spots.

Currently, it’s challenging to predict the exact lineup as only a few films have been viewed by Fremaux and his team. Nevertheless, EbMaster has made an effort to uncover the movies that have been submitted, those with a chance of being selected, and those that will not be premiering on the Croisette.

READY TO BE SUBMITTED:

Apart from Jim Jarmusch’s “Father Mother Sister Brother,” numerous American filmmakers are eager to make their mark during this 78th edition. One of the most talked-about entries, seemingly designed for Cannes, is Richard Linklater’s French-language film “Nouvelle Vague,” which revolves around the production of Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless” and the emergence of the French New Wave (produced by ARP Selection). Recently at the Berlin Film Festival with “Blue Moon,” featuring Ethan Hawke and Margaret Qualley as they portray legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart, Linklater last appeared in Cannes’ official selection in 2006. That year, he presented “Fast Food Nation” in competition and “A Scanner Darkly” at Un Certain Regard.

American filmmakers are bringing many films to the 78th edition, but one of the most anticipated ones is Richard Linklater’s movie “Nouvelle Vague,” which tells a story about the creation of Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless” and the rise of the French New Wave. This film was produced by ARP Selection. Linklater recently showed another movie called “Blue Moon” at the Berlin Film Festival, where he had Ethan Hawke and Margaret Qualley play legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart. His last appearance in Cannes’ official selection was back in 2006 when he presented “Fast Food Nation” in competition and “A Scanner Darkly” at Un Certain Regard.

Spike Lee, who previously served as a jury president at Cannes in 2021, is anticipated to return to the festival this year with his A24 production titled “Highest 2 Lowest“. This film is a fresh take on Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller “High and Low”, featuring Denzel Washington. Similarly, Wes Anderson, a frequent visitor to Cannes, is expected to make another appearance on the French Riviera with his Focus Features movie “The Phoenician Scheme“. This film tells the story of a family business, with an ensemble cast including Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Tom Hanks, and Scarlett Johansson. Anderson has previously presented films like “Asteroid City”, “The French Dispatch”, and “Moonrise Kingdom”, which opened the festival in 2012.

Other U.S. directors anticipated for Cannes include Ari Aster with his A24 Western dark comedy “Eddington,” starring Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix; Gregg Araki’s erotic thriller “I Want Your Love,” featuring Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, and Charli XCX; Kelly Reichardt’s Mubi-produced film “The Mastermind,” set against the Vietnam War backdrop with Josh O’Connor as an art thief; and Kristen Stewart’s debut as a feature director “The Chronology of Water,” starring Imogen Poots and based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s 2011 bestselling memoir. Meanwhile, it is still rumored that Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible – The Last Stand” will likely premiere out of competition, either before or on May 21, the day it releases in theaters, although Paramount has not made a final decision, according to sources.

Upcoming movies with renowned actors that are expected to premiere at Cannes Festival also feature “Rosebush Pruning,” a remake of Marco Bellocchio’s 1965 dark satire “Fists in the Pocket.” This film stars Elle Fanning, Riley Keough, Callum Turner, and Pamela Anderson. It is jointly produced by Mubi and represented by The Match Factory.

Among the renowned filmmakers poised to walk the red carpet at Cannes are the Dardenne brothers, winners of two Palme d’Or awards, with their socially-driven drama “The Young Mother’s Refuge” (represented by Goodfellas); Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Worth,” a family drama acquired by Neon starring Renate Reinsve, the breakout actress from Trier’s Oscar-nominated film “The Worst Person in the World” alongside Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning (represented by MK2 Films); Rebecca Zlotowski’s “Private Life,” a thriller set in Paris featuring Jodie Foster and Daniel Auteuil (represented by Goodfellas); Fatih Akin’s 1945-set film “Amrum,” reuniting the director with “In the Fade” actress Diane Kruger, based on the autobiographical novel of screenwriter Hark Bohm (represented by Beta Cinema); and German emerging talent Mascha Schilinski’s “I Feel Down Despite the Doctor Saying I’ll Be Alright,” a film chronicling four decades through the eyes of four young women.

Among other options:

1. Another choice is “Alpha,” directed by Julia Ducournau, a sequel to her Palme d’Or-winning film “Titane” starring Golshifteh Farahani and Tahar Rahim (represented by FilmNation, Charades).
2. László Nemes’ post-World War II Hungarian family drama, titled “Orphan,” is his long-awaited follow up to the Oscar-winning film “Son of Saul” which won Cannes’ jury prize (represented by Charades, New Europe).
3. Bi Gan’s sci-fi thriller “Resurrection,” featuring Jackson Yee and Shu Qi, is another option (represented by Les Films du Losange).
4. Mario Martone’s biopic of feminist writer Goliarda Sapienza, titled “Fuori,” starring Valeria Golino, is also in the mix (represented by True Colours).
5. Kleber Mendonca Filho’s political thriller “The Secret Agent” with Wagner Moura in the lead role and set during the final years of Brazil’s military dictatorship in the late 1970s (represented by MK2 Films) is an additional option.
6. Lastly, “Duse,” directed by Pietro Marcello, stars Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as the legendary Italian stage diva Eleonora Duse, alongside Noémie Merlant (represented by The Match Factory).

I, as a devoted admirer, am eagerly anticipating the return of Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov in competition. This time, it’s with “The Disappearance of Josef Mengele,” an on-screen interpretation of Olivier Guez’s captivating novel bearing the same title. In this film, August Diehl takes on the role of the elusive Auschwitz doctor and torturer, Josef Mengele, who vanished to Argentina at the conclusion of World War II (represented by Kinology).

MAYBE:

We’ve received conflicting indications about several upcoming films, such as Lynne Ramsay’s horror film “Die, My Love” featuring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, Luca Guadagnino’s thriller “After the Hunt” starring Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield, which may potentially screen at Cannes despite its fall release date. Additionally, we’re unsure about Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice,” Alice Winocour’s “Couture” with Angelina Jolie portraying an American film director during Paris Fashion Week, and Oliver Hermanus’s “The History of Sound,” a gay romance starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor. These last two films might debut in the fall as well.

NOT HAPPENING:

1. Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia”: Yorgos Lanthimos’ upcoming film, “Bugonia”
2. Paul Thomas Anderson’s untitled film: Paul Thomas Anderson’s as-yet-unnamed movie
3. Paul Greengrass’ “The Lost Bus”: Paul Greengrass’ “The Missing School Bus” or “Stranded Bus”
4. Luc Besson’s “Dracula”: Luc Besson’s take on the classic vampire story, “Dracula”
5. Celine Song’s “Materialists”: Celine Song’s film, “The Materialist” or “The Material World”
6. Antonin Baudry’s “De Gaulle”: Antonin Baudry’s upcoming movie about the famous French leader, “De Gaulle”
7. Romain Gavras’ “Sacrifice”: Romain Gavras’ film, “The Sacrificial Act” or “The Offering”
8. Cedric Jimenez’s “Chien 51: Cedric Jimenez’s movie, “Dog 51” or “Canine 51”
9. Julian Schnabel’s “In the Hand of Dante,” starring Oscar Isaac and Jason Momoa: Julian Schnabel’s film, “In the Grip of Dante,” starring Oscar Isaac and Jason Momoa
10. Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine,” starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt: Benny Safdie’s movie, “The Destructive Device,” starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt
11. Nicolas Winding Refn’s “The Avenging Silence” (which hasn’t even started shooting): Nicolas Winding Refn’s upcoming film, “The Vengeful Silence” or “The Retribution of Silence”

Alex Ritman, Nick Vivarelli and Clayton Davis contributed to this report.

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2025-03-14 23:19