Moviefone Editorial

Tag: cannes

  • Tom Cruise Celebration Set for Cannes Film Festival

    Tom Cruise Top Gun 2
    Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

    This year’s 75th Cannes Film Festival is preparing to feel the need. The need… For speed. Well, also still queuing, but with a planned Tom Cruise celebration scheduled alongside a premiere for his latest movie, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’.

    According to Deadline, the plan to stage a celebration has been in the works for a while, with festival head Thierry Frémaux eager to get the actor and his new movie to appear. ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ will premiere as an Official Screening Selection on May 18, preceded by a tribute to the actor. He’ll sit down to discuss his long career with journalist Didier Allouch.

    And the day has significance to Cruise – it marks 30 years to the day since he attended the closing ceremony of the 45th edition of Cannes for Ron Howard’s ‘Far and Away’.

    Our biggest question at this point will be how the famously stunt-loving actor will choose to appear on the Croisette – while there’s every chance he’ll simply show up in a limo, wouldn’t it be more impactful if he lands a Harrier Jump Jet aircraft on front of an applauding crowd? Dangerous, schmangerous. He lives for this stuff.

    Cannes will mark the launch of a typically packed (pandemic permitting, of course) tour schedule for the actor to promote the movie – known for his lengthy worldwide charm offensives to back his work, Cruise had been one of those pushing to delay the sequel so that he can jet off around the globe. Once that is complete, he still must finish up work on the eighth installment of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise.

    Tom Cruise in plane
    Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

    Cannes itself will run between May 18th and May 28th and will, as usual, feature a selection of movies from around the world.

    A sequel to the 1986 action classic, ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ features the return of Cruise’s hotshot flyer Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Despite clocking up a few more years to go with all the miles he’s flown, Maverick is still taking to the sky as a test pilot, determined not to let his superiors promote – and therefore ground – him.

    Yet he’s still forced to confront his past when he’s put in charge of training a group of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission. Among them is Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late best friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards, in the original film).

    Joseph Kosinski – who worked with Cruise on ‘Oblivion’ – directs the new movie, which also features Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris and Monica Barbaro, with fellow ‘Top Gun’ veteran Val Kilmer also returning as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, who these days is a four-star Admiral (and still probably considers Maverick a danger).

    After that series of release date changes and delays, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ will be wheels down in US theaters from May 27th.

    Monica Barbaro and Tom Cruise on the set of 'Top Gun: Maverick'
    Monica Barbaro and Tom Cruise on the set of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
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  • Joseph Gordon-Levitt Thriller ‘7500’ Sells to Amazon at Cannes

    Joseph Gordon-Levitt Thriller ‘7500’ Sells to Amazon at Cannes

    Sony Pictures Entertainment

    It’s been a busy day for big deals at the Cannes Film Festival, with a new thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt the latest title to get snapped up for distribution.

    Deadline reports that “7500,” in which Gordon-Levitt plays the co-pilot of a plane that is hijacked by terrorists, is set to take flight at Amazon Studios, following bids from multiple potential buyers. The flick marks the feature directorial debut of Patrick Vollrath, who received an Oscar nomination for his live action short film “Everything Will Be Okay.” Vollrath is also writing the script for “7500.”

    The production is the latest of several high-profile films hailing from Germany to make big deals at Cannes this year. Terrence Malick‘s “A Hidden Life,” shot in both English and German, secured an eight-figure payday for its distribution rights.

    Amazon has also had a busy time at Cannes, with the burgeoning film powerhouse previously picking up the rights to “Les Miserables,” a buzzy French film set in the same Parisian neighborhood in which Victor Hugo set his classic novel. This story is based on director Ladj Ly’s Cesar-nominated short of the same name, which was inspired by the 2005 riots in the French capital.

    Stay tuned to see when Amazon releases “7500.”

    [via: Deadline]

  • Terrence Malick’s ‘A Hidden Life’ Lands Huge Deal at Cannes

    Terrence Malick’s ‘A Hidden Life’ Lands Huge Deal at Cannes

    Cannes Film Festival

    The latest feature from celebrated director Terrence Malick made a big splash at the Cannes Film Festival this weekend, wowing critics and walking away with a huge distribution deal.

    Deadline reports that “A Hidden Life” — which tells the true story of Franz Jägerstätter (played by August Diel), an Austrian man who was conscientious objector in WWII, and refused to fight for Hitler and the Nazis — sparked an intense bidding war after its premiere at the festival on Sunday, with numerous studios vying for the chance to distribute the flick. Fox Searchlight ultimately won out, besting the likes of Paramount and Netlfix with a whopping eight-figure bid that Deadline’s sources estimate to be in the $12 million to $14 million range.

    The film was hailed by critics at its debut screening, and Malick received a thunderous standing ovation from the audience, according to the trade. “A Hidden Life” is already being hailed as a return to form for the director, and it seems that Fox Searchlight officially has an awards season contender on its hands (not to mention a shot at the coveted top prize at Cannes, the Palme d’Or, which Malick won for “The Tree of Life” in 2011).

    No word yet on when the film is expected to release in theaters. Stay tuned.

    [via: Deadline]

  • Chris Hemsworth Teams With Tiffany Haddish for Action Comedy ‘Down Under Cover’

    Chris Hemsworth Teams With Tiffany Haddish for Action Comedy ‘Down Under Cover’

    Marvel Studios

    An unlikely duo is joining forces on the big screen for a new comedy, and we can’t wait to see the results.

    Deadline has the scoop about a new flick that is set to be shopped at the Cannes Film Festival later this month, starring two of the hottest names in Hollywood: Chris Hemsworth and Tiffany Haddish. The pair are set to headline a buddy action comedy called “Down Under Cover,” which the trade says is being molded after flicks like “48 Hours,” “Rush Hour,” and “The Heat.”

    Here’s the breakdown of the film’s plot, according to Deadline:

    In ‘Down Under Cover,’ Hemsworth will play a detective who goes undercover to crack a series of baffling casino heists in which the prime suspects are a troupe of Australian male erotic dancers. He’s forced to take the partner no one else will — Haddish’s character, a lone wolf who does things only one way: hers. Together they have to work as an unlikely duo to solve the crime of their careers.

    As Deadline notes, while Hemsworth is known to most of the world as the man behind Thor in the “Avengers” flicks, the affable Aussie actor also has some sizable comedy chops, too, which he showed off in the more lighthearted “Thor: Ragnarok,” and in a hilarious supporting role in 2016’s “Ghostbusters.” Haddish, meanwhile, is no stranger to high-profile comedies, starring in a string of hits including “Girls Trip” and “Night School,” among many others.

    Based on the actors’ resumes alone, we’re already looking forward to this flick.

    [via: Deadline]

  • Lars von Trier’s ‘Vile’ New Movie Prompts Mass Walkouts, But Also Standing Ovation

    “Controversial” should be the fourth word in Lars von Trier‘s name. He was trolling viewers long before trolling was even a term.

    The Danish filmmaker is an artist and professional provocateur, known for “Dogville,” “Antichrist,” “Breaking the Waves,” “Europa,” “Melancholia,” “Nymphomaniac,” and various outraged headlines.

    He and the Cannes Film Festival both got what they wanted again with his new film, “The House That Jack Built,” which earned both walkouts and a six-minute standing ovation. (Meanwhile, “Solo: A Star Wars Story” got what was described as a “tepid’ reaction from the Cannes crowd.)

    Von Trier both wrote and directed “The House That Jack Built,” which stars Matt Dillon as serial killer Jack, who sees his murders as elaborate works of art.

    The film reportedly prompted groans from the Cannes audience, and more than 100 walkouts. Why?

    SPOILER ALERT.

    Scenes are said to be very graphic, with Jack mutilating and strangling his victims, who are mostly women. But let’s be honest — that’s basically a yawn to most audiences. And it’s vintage Lars von Trier. No, the scene that seemed to prompt the most walkouts was when Jack used a hunting rifle to blow the heads off two small children.

    Many (but not all) viewers tweeted harsh reactions, which only served to make others more curious to see the movie, the way fans are always drawn to anything “controversial” and macabre:

    Really. This just makes so many people want to see it — and they’ll probably be expecting even more violence, so they’ll just shrug it off. Desensitization in action. Here’s the trailer for you:The movie costars Uma Thurman and Riley Keough and it’s expected in select U.S. theaters this fall.

    [Via: THR, Variety]

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  • Jessica Chastain Assembles All-Star Female Cast for International Spy Thriller

    Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain is gearing up to star in horror sequel “It: Chapter 2,” but the latest project on her plate sounds scary good, too.

    Deadline reports that the actress has assembled an all-star cast of women for a potential film series centered around international spies. The project, called “355,” is also set to star Lupita Nyong’o, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, and Fan Bingbing, and is being billed as “a grounded, edgy action thriller” in the vein of flicks like the “Bourne” and “Mission: Impossible” series.

    According to Deadline, the actresses will all be on hand at the Cannes Film Festival next week to pitch their vision to distributors directly. They’ve already secured a director, Simon Kinberg (with whom Chastain just wrapped “X-Men: Dark Phoenix”), and a writer, Theresa Rebeck (a playwright and TV writer who’s worked on series including “NYPD Blue” and “Smash”).

    “I had so much fun working on ‘The Help’ that I always wanted to do another female ensemble film,” Chastain explained of her vision in an interview with Deadline. “I love the ‘Bourne’ movies, the ‘Mission: Impossible’ films, and wondered why, except for ‘Charlie’s Angels,’ there hadn’t been a true female ensemble action-thriller spy film. That got my wheels going, along with the idea of casting actresses from all over the world to truly make it an international project. I realized the incredible creative freedom we would have with that.”

    That freedom included involving all of the actresses in the planning process for the film, Chastain told the trade, with the goal that the film will truly be an ensemble piece that gives equal screen time to all of its stars. And its inspiration is pretty cool, too: Agent 355 was the code name for a female spy during the American Revolutionary War, and is still used today as a slang term for female spies worldwide.

    Kinberg told Deadline that the goal is to launch an entire franchise around this concept, with the first film introducing agents from different espionage organizations around the globe who come together to prevent another group from acquiring a dangerous, potentially world-ending weapon. But Chastain sees another, higher purpose to the project, too.

    “The action genre has long been dominated by male heroes, and it’s so exciting to be part of a film that will allow for not just one female action hero but a whole ensemble of very capable, fierce female characters that reject tired stereotypes,” the actress told the trade. “Characters that liberate from the confines of stereotypical traits. That is something that excited me about this, the opportunity to create different types of female heroes.”

    We’re excited, too. Stay tuned to see how everything plays out for this future franchise.

    [via: Deadline]

  • Netflix Responds to Cannes Ban With Film Boycott: ‘They’ve Set the Tone’

    Cannes vs. Netflix: Cinephiles, this is the haute feud you’ve been waiting for! Steven Spielberg has clearly picked a side, but what about you?

    Cannes Film Festival artistic director Thierry Fremaux recently banned Netflix original movies from competing, after last year’s competitors “Okja” and “The Meyerowitz Stories” had successful showings. Netflix could show films out of competition, but they would not be on the same footing as films up for awards.

    His explanation was tied to showing films in theaters vs. only streaming:

    “Last year, when we selected these two films, I thought I could convince Netflix to release them in cinemas. I was presumptuous, they refused.”

    Shots fired — and Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos fired back. He told Variety Netflix won’t submit any films for Cannes at all.

    “We want our films to be on fair ground with every other filmmaker. There’s a risk in us going in this way and having our films and filmmakers treated disrespectfully at the festival. They’ve set the tone. I don’t think it would be good for us to be there.”

    It’s an elitist, snobbish tone, from Sarandos’ perspective.

    “It’s just that [Cannes] has chosen to celebrate distribution rather than the art of cinema. We are 100% about the art of cinema. And by the way, every other festival in the world is too.”

    However, Sarandos told Variety Netflix will have a presence at Cannes to acquire films, because many films presenting there won’t have distribution. So they may still buy movies that are in competition, and release those films via the streaming service — which is something they do regularly from festivals these days.

    Here are more comments from Sarandos’ Q&A with Variety:

    Are you deciding not to participate in Cannes this year?
    Well, it was not our decision to make. Thierry announced the change in their qualification rules [that] requires a film to have distribution in France to get in, which is completely contrary to the spirit of any film festival in the world. Film festivals are to help films get discovered so they can get distribution. Under those rules, we could not release our films day-and-date to the world like we’ve released nearly 100 films over the last couples of years. And if we did that, we’d have to hold back that film from French subscribers for three years under French law. Therefore, our films they are not qualified for the Cannes Film Festival competition.

    What is your message for the international film community?
    We hope that they do change the rules. We hope that they modernize. But we will continue to support all films and all filmmakers. We encourage Cannes to rejoin the world cinema community and welcome them back. Thierry had said in his comments when he announced his change that the history of the Internet and the history of Cannes are two different things. Of course they are two different things. But we are choosing to be about the future of cinema. If Cannes is choosing to be stuck in the history of cinema, that’s fine.

    Fremaux responded, saying (via Deadline) it was a “shame” to not have Netflix showing any films, and they are “welcome in Cannes.” He also said the rule that competing films must have theatrical distribution was decades old, and only got revived because of Netflix’s distribution model:

    “Films must be open to the possibility of being distributed in cinemas. […] They know and love cinema, but we don’t have the same position. The world is like that today. Last year when we had them on the red carpet we were very criticized. This year they won’t be on the red carpet and we’ll be criticized.”

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  • Robert Pattinson & Adam Sandler Have Early Oscar Buzz After Cannes (Yes, Them)

    'Good Time' Red Carpet Arrivals - The 70th Annual Cannes Film FestivalIt’s time to question everything, because two of the least expected actors are earning top buzz at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.

    Adam Sandler and Robert Pattinson have wowed fans and critics in their respective films. The former “Twilight” heartthrob has viewers raving over his leading role in the crime thriller “Good Time,” with Sandler earning awards buzz for the family comedy “The Meyerowitz Stories.”

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, Pattinson’s “Good Time” got “screaming applause” during a six-minute standing ovation. According to USA Today, Sandler’s film “was met with rapturous reviews and a four-minute standing ovation,” with critics surprised to find themselves considering the comic for an Oscar. (Hey, he was pretty good in “Punch-Drunk Love,” too.)

    In Celebration Of Cannes - 70 Years Of A Film FestivalHere are some early reactions to both actors having breakthrough moments at this point in their careers:

    The 2017 Cannes winners will be announced this weekend. And then we wait, to see if either actor will still be riding the buzz when the Oscars are awarded in early 2018.

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  • ‘The Third Man’ Gets Special Release for Orson Welles’s 100th Birthday

    Happy 100th birthday to Orson Welles, who is looking better than ever thanks to a major new restoration. Welles was born May 6, 1915, and even though he passed away in 1985, he got himself trending on his birthday in 2015. That’s when you know you’re a #legend.

    In honor of Welles’ 100th b-day, Rialto Pictures is releasing “The Third Man” in a major 4K restoration. It’s the first-ever for the 1949 Carol Reed classic — considered by many to be one of the greatest movies of all time — which stars Orson Welles as Harry Lime and Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins. According to a media release, the new restoration will have its world premiere this month in the “Cannes Classics” section of the Cannes Film Festival, with U.S. openings at New York’s Film Forum on June 26 (2-week run) and L.A.’s Nuart on July 3. Showings in San Francisco, Washington, DC, Seattle, Philadelphia and other major markets will follow.

    Of course, Welles is also credited with directing (and writing) some of the greatest films of all time himself — including “Citizen Kane,” “Touch of Evil,” and “The Magnificent Ambersons” — but he has far more acting credits. Still, if you have yourself a merry little Welles marathon in his honor, you can celebrate his achievements any way you’d like. Just don’t forget what Welles said himself: “If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”
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