I am currently putting together my travel plans for the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, thanks in large part to donations from readers as we have passed the halfway mark on my $2,500 donation goal, but what exactly will I be seeing at the festival? That’s just as important as getting there, if not more so. Well, Deadline‘s Nancy Tartaglione and Pete Hammond have put together a list of likely candidates.
We already know Baz Luhrmann‘s The Great Gatsby will open the festival and one would expect at least one other high profile Hollywood feature to make it. Last year it was Madagascar 3, which makes me think there may be an Out of Competition screening of Pixar’s Monsters University. Unless I’m mistaken, Up is the only other Pixar film to play the festival and it was the first 3-D film to open the fest so why not bring in the second Pixar film to play alongside the second 3-D opener?
Tartaglione and Hammond shoot down the possibility of J.J. Abrams‘ Star Trek Into Darkness showing up, but is there any chance M. Night Shyamalan‘s After Earth makes the trip? I see that making an appearance before Zack Snyder‘s Man of Steel and there really aren’t that many other big budget Hollywood films to choose from close enough to the fest’s May 15-26 dates that would make much sense. Hell, even those three don’t make much sense.
The Deadline crew also shoots down the likelihood of either the Nicole Kidman-led Grace of Monaco and Lars Von Trier‘s Nymphomaniac making the trip. Looks like the Cannes organizers avoided having to decide whether to take back Von Trier’s persona non grata status for yet another year. And apparently Pedro Almodovar‘s new comedy I’m So Excited also won’t be ready, which is one I feel most were expecting… I was.
The Deadline duo, however, suggest Sofia Coppola‘s The Bling Ring could make an appearance as could Inside Llewyn Davis from Joel and Ethan Coen. Alexander Payne‘s Nebraska is also named and I fully expect Steve McQueen‘s Twelve Years a Slave to definitely be there as well as Steven Soderbergh‘s “Beyond the Candelabra“.
Deadline also includes J.C. Chandor‘s All Is Lost, his follow-up to Margin Call starring Robert Redford. Guillaume Canet’s first English-language film, Blood Ties starring Marion Cotillard, Clive Owen, Zoe Saldana and Mila Kunis is mentioned along with Xavier Dolan‘s Tom at the Farm, which could mark the director’s first time in competition.
Of course, James Gray‘s Lowlife is among the hopeful’s as is Only God Forgives, the highly anticipated Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling reunion following Refn winning the directing Palme d’Or two years ago with Drive.
Spike Jonze‘s Her starring Joaquin Phoenix is on the list of potentials as is A Separation director, Asghar Farhadi‘s latest Le Passé starring Berenice Bejo (The Artist) and Tahar Rahim (A Prophet). They also suggest Roman Polanski‘s Venus In Fur starring Emmanuelle Seigner and Mathieu Amalric as a possibility along with Jim Jarmusch‘s vampire story Only Lovers Left Alive starring Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston.
Additional potential titles include:
- You are Here (dir. Matt Weiner)
- La Granda Belezza (dir. Paolo Sorrentino)
- White Bird in a Blizzard (dir. Gregg Araki)
- Like Father, Like Son (dir. Hirokazu Kore-Eda)
- Blue is the Warmest Color (dir. Abdellatif Kechiche)
- Chavez (dir. Diego Luna)
- Jimmy Picard (dir. Arnaud Desplechin)
- Goodbye to Language (dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
- Malavita (dir. Luc Besson)
- The Raid 2 (dir. Gareth Evans)
- Night Moves (dir. Kelly Reichardt)
In addition to these there always seems to be at least one or two standouts from Sundance that make the fest, typically in the Un Certain Regard selection. This year I imagine films such as Fruitvale and The Way, Way Back having a shot and I wouldn’t count out Woody Allen‘s Blue Jasmine if it’s ready in time and the same goes for Oliver Hirschbiegel‘s Diana starring Naomi Watts as the late Princess of Wales.
Clearly the speculation is endless, but I’ll do my best to keep you updated on what may be showing so when it comes time for me to see and review the films you will at least have some familiarity and investment.
Stay tuned as there will be much more speculation to come. I expect the Competition line-up will be announced around April 18.
Finally, if you enjoy my Cannes coverage and would like to contribute to the cause, you can click here for donation information. Every donation counts and I appreciate the support.
