The 76th Cannes Film Festival begins today, with personalities from the world of cinema arriving on the Côte d’Azur from all over the world.
Last years festival produced three Best Picture Oscar nominees, so all eyes are on the films in contention this time around.
It is also a record year for female filmmakers, with seven of the 21 films competing for the prestigious Palme d’Or directed by women.
Take a look at eight of the films already buzzing at the start of the festival.
Most Talked About: The Return of Johnny Depp
After winning his highly publicized lawsuit in the United States against his ex-wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp will make his great return to cinema in the opening film of this year’s festival.
Called Jeanne Du Barry, it sees the star play King Louis XV, while the drama’s director, a French filmmaker known as Maiwenn, will play the lead role.
She recently admitted to spitting in the face of a journalist following reports accusing her ex-husband, director Luc Besson, of rape (the French appeals court dismissed all allegations against Besson in May this year last).
It’s a somewhat controversial choice to kick off the proceedings, but apparently the festival is happy to ignore the raised eyebrows – and it’s certainly got people talking.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate. Photo: Cannes Film Festival
The Blockbuster: Fifth and Final Indiana Jones
Perhaps the best dad pics to watch in the press this week will be of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Harrison Ford at their premiere. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate out of competition during the festival.
Directed by James Mangold, whose previous work includes Logan and Ford v Ferrari, the film will feature Ford in his latest outing as an iconic archaeologist while Fleabag’s Waller-Bridge will play his goddaughter.
It’s the first film in the franchise not to be directed by Steven Spielberg or written by George Lucas and it’s been a long time coming – its original scheduled release date was July 19, 2019.
Released in theaters on June 30, it should be a summer hit for Disney, but Cannes will offer a select few a first chance to see Indy’s adventures come to an end.
Moonflower Slayers. Photo: Cannes Film Festival
The Scorsese Prize Bait: Killers Of The Flower Moon
Killers Of The Flower Moon is a Western crime drama from Martin Scorsese with a star-studded cast including Leonardo DiCaprioRobert De Niro, Jesse Plemons and recent Oscar winner Brendan Fraser.
It is based on a book about a series of murders of Osage tribesmen in Oklahoma in the 1920s after oil was discovered on tribal land.
Reportedly worth £160million and not hitting cinemas until October, the drama should be an awards contender.
It’s playing out of competition at Cannes, and while it’s expected to be released on Apple TV+ eventually, Scorsese described it as a “big screen movie”.
City of asteroids. Photo: Cannes Film Festival
The Palme D’Or coin from Wes: Asteroid City
A recent trend online has seen videos mimicking the unique and highly stylized look of Wes Anderson movies.
So what better time for a new film from the director himself?
As usual, he’s assembled a big cast – this one includes Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett JohanssonTom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie and Jeff Goldblum (to name a few).
Set in 1955, it is a junior star-watcher convention and is among the films at Cannes hoping to win the prestigious top prize – the Palme d’Or – before its theatrical release in June.
May December. Photo: Cannes Film Festival
The arty one: May December
Director Todd Haynes, known for works such as Wonderstruck and Dark Waters, has an intriguing meta offering competing at the festival.
May december stars Natalie Portman as an actress who goes to meet a woman played by Julianne Moore that the character of Portman is going to play in a film.
In real life, the two stars have won Oscars in the past and the film has yet to be sold to a US distributor. The makers are therefore undoubtedly banking on good reviews when it premieres at the festival before releasing on Sky Cinema later this year.
The idol. Photo: Cannes Film Festival
The nepo baby and The Weeknd team up: The Idol
Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and musician The Weeknd’s highly anticipated series The Idol will see another Depp get a Cannes premiere.
The film stars Johnny’s daughter, Lily-Rose, as an aspiring popstar who enters into a complex relationship with a self-help guru played by The Weeknd.
With reports of a costly overhaul halfway through production, all eyes will be on the reaction to the Cannes premiere before the show airs on Sky Atlantic in the UK.
Busy city. Photo: Cannes Film Festival
Steve McQueen’s WWII movie: Occupied City
One of Britain’s most acclaimed directors, Mr Steve McQueenwill present its new documentary Occupied City at Cannes this year in a special screening.
Set in Amsterdam – where he now lives with his wife, writer Bianca Stigter who co-produced the film – under Nazi occupation during World War II, it is advertised to have a running time of 262 minutes.
This is McQueen’s first time directing a feature-length documentary, but his documentary miniseries Uprising won a TV Bafta last year.
Elementary. Photo: Cannes Film Festival
The animated heart-warmer: Elemental
Disney Pixar’s latest offering is set in a town where the elements live together and concerns the relationship between a feisty girl and a boy made of water – who find that just because they can’t touch each other doesn’t they have nothing in common.
The animation will premiere out of competition and close the festival on May 27, before hitting theaters next month.
The voice cast includes Jurassic World star Mamoudou Athie and Nancy Drew actress Leah Lewis.
Inspired by romantic films such as You’ve Got Mail and Amelie, expect it to bring a warm touch to the festival.
The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 16 to 27
