The 79th Film Festival kicks off on May 12 without a single film from the major US studios. According to Deutsche Welle, this year's selection focuses on arthouse directors such as Pedro Almodóvar, Asghar Farhadi, Pawel Pawlikowski, and Cristian Mungiu. The red carpet will not host a blockbuster spectacle like last year's "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" or previous highlights like "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Mad Max: Fury Road."
However, US productions are still represented: Ira Sachs' musical fantasy "The Man I Love" featuring Rami Malek and James Gray's "Paper Tiger" with Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are in competition. Outside of competition, John Travolta presents his directorial debut "Propeller One-Way Night Coach," a passion project about aviation, while Andy Garcia directs and stars in the crime drama "Diamond." What is missing are the expensive studio blockbusters that typically balance the serious auteur cinema.
This trend is not limited to Cannes. As Deutsche Welle reports, citing Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle, the Berlin Film Festival in February was also notably free of studio films. According to Tuttle, Hollywood majors are increasingly hesitant to premiere big films at festivals due to concerns over negative reviews or a challenging press cycle that could jeopardize box office revenues months before release.
Tuttle cites the Film Festival 2024 as a cautionary example, where Warner Bros. launched "Joker: Folie à Deux." The sequel to the billion-dollar hit "Joker" was panned by critics and grossed only around $200 million worldwide – far below expectations and budget. Additionally, the lukewarm reviews for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" from Cannes may have diminished the film's success, which became the weakest installment in the adventure series when adjusted for inflation.
