Cannes Film Festival 2026 No Hollywood films? The stars are still there in large numbers - and Travolta shows his first directorial work
Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis adorn this year's Cannes poster: homage to the anniversary of "Thelma and Louise".
Image: © Festival de Cannes
This year's jury includes Park Chan-wook, Demi Moore and Stellan Skarsgard.
Image: Manon Boyer / FDC
Sandra Hüller, the woman of the hour, plays in the Polish post-war drama "Fatherland".
Image: © Pathé Films
Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver and Miles Teller in James Gray's "Paper Tiger".
Image: © RT Features
John Travolta has made his own children's adventure book "Propeller One-Way Night Coach" into a movie.
Image: © Apple TV
Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis adorn this year's Cannes poster: homage to the anniversary of "Thelma and Louise".
Image: © Festival de Cannes
This year's jury includes Park Chan-wook, Demi Moore and Stellan Skarsgard.
Image: Manon Boyer / FDC
Sandra Hüller, the woman of the hour, plays in the Polish post-war drama "Fatherland".
Image: © Pathé Films
Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver and Miles Teller in James Gray's "Paper Tiger".
Image: © RT Features
John Travolta has made his own children's adventure book "Propeller One-Way Night Coach" into a movie.
Image: © Apple TV
The 79th Cannes Film Festival is open! There are no Hollywood films this year, but there are still stars in the line-up, including Scarlett Johansson and Sandra Hüller. blue News reports on site.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Among the films celebrating their world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival are "Her Private Hell" by "Drive" director Nicholas Winding Refn and James Gray's "Paper Tiger" with Scarlett Johansson.
- The two veteran actors John Travolta and Andy Garcia present their directorial debuts.
- Sandra Hüller, the woman of the hour, can be seen in the Polish competition entry "Fatherland".
- blue News reports on location about the Cannes Film Festival.
"Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning", "Furiosa", "Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Fortune", "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Elvis": Over the past five years, many Hollywood studio productions have celebrated their world premieres on the Croisette. And let's not forget three films by Wes Anderson, each with a huge star cast.
This year, however, there is no comparable attraction to trigger this magnetic effect. The gap will be compensated for with a 25th anniversary screening of "The Fast and the Furious", in the presence of Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Meadow Walker, daughter of the late Paul Walker.
A premiere in Cannes is also associated with a risk
There were several Hollywood films that could have been considered. Steven Spielberg's "Disclosure Day" was considered a potential candidate. However, either they simply didn't finish in time or they avoided a festival premiere to avoid potentially damning press coverage. In the case of the latest Indiana Jones, the rather negative press coverage had a considerable impact on the film's release.
Cannes offers a kind of artistic seal of approval, worldwide media hype and the most glamorous red carpet in the world. At the same time, however, the costs for the studios are immense and a world premiere on the Croisette is always associated with a risk.
Promising international collaborations
However, a lack of Hollywood studios does not mean a lack of star showcases. There are plenty of them this year too. The US indie production "Paper Tiger" by James Gray stars Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver and Miles Teller. After ten years, "Drive" director Nicholas Winding Refn is finally presenting a new film: "Her Private Hell".
And numerous promising international collaborations will be shown - a striking number of them Asian-European. Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander star in the South Korean film "Hope". Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel and Isabelle Huppert can be seen in "Histoires Parallèles" by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi. Sandra Hüller plays in the Polish post-war drama "Fatherland". Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve play the central roles in the Romanian film "Fjord".
Two veteran actors direct for the first time
Two iconic actors present their first directorial works. John Travolta has made his own children's book "Propeller One-Way Night Coach" into a movie. The adventure stars his daughter Ella Bleu Travolta and he also takes on a role himself.
"The Godfather" actor Andy Garcia has also directed a feature film for the first time. In the gangster drama "Diamond", he plays the lead role himself and brings together a well-known cast including Vicky Krieps, Brendan Fraser, Bill Murray and Dustin Hoffman.
Peter Jackson, creator of the "Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" trilogies, is also visiting Cannes. The festival presents him with an honorary award for his life's work.
