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The 2025 Cannes Film Festival is underway with Leave One Day by first-time French filmmaker Amelie Bonnin serving as the opening-night pic.

This year’s lineup includes major Hollywood premieres including Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme starring Benicio del Toro and Michael Cera, Richard Linklater’s Paris-shot Breathless homage Nouvelle Vague, Jochim Trier’s Sentimental Value and Titane Palme d’Or winner Julia Ducournau’s Alpha to name a few.

They are joined by new films from stalwart auteurs including horrormeister Ari Aster’s buzzy A24 feature Eddington, Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s In Simple Accident and Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has landed in Un Certain Regard with her first directorial effort, Eleanor the Great.

Related: Standing Ovations At Cannes: How We Clock Those Claps, Which Movie Holds The Record and Why The Industry Loves To Hate The Ritual

Croisette regulars Kirill Serebrennikov, Raoul Peck...

The Cannes Film Festival is underway, and while the Marché Du Film is as booming as ever with exciting packages of future films, there are plenty of titles playing in competition or in the Cannes sidebars that could make a big splash at the box office or the awards season race for the right buyer. Last year’s “The Substance” was acquired by Mubi before it landed a Best Picture Oscar nomination and made $77.3 million worldwide.

Here are the 13 films we predicted ahead of the festival could find homes quickly. We’ll update the below list with all the acquisitions as they come in.

“Die, My Love”

Section: Competition

Distributor: Mubi

Director: Lynne Ramsay

Buzz: The first major sale of Cannes is one of the starriest, with Lynne Ramsay’s intense drama about postpartum depression and motherhood starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson going to Mubi, IndieWire can confirm, in...

Cannes – In the opening moments of “Bono: Stories of Surrender,” filmmaker Andrew Dominik’s black and white concert film about the man, his music, his one-man stage show, and his life up until now, there is an acknowledgement from the titular artist that he knows talking about himself as he did in his memoir as well as now this show that draws from it is the epitome of “navel gazing.” This brief movement exists, not without self-aware humor, to establish how what you are about to watch is more than a little self-centered.

Continue reading ‘Bono: Stories Of Surrender’ Review: Andrew Dominik’s Fan-Friendly Concert Film Puts The U2 Singer In The Spotlight [Cannes] at The Playlist.

In its arresting black-and-white palette, Bono: Stories of Surrender unfolds as a solitary confession given theatrical weight. The film captures the stripped-down essence of Bono’s one-man stage show, where spotlight and shadow trace the contours of a life lived in pursuit of meaning.

Adapted from Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, this filmed performance first took shape at New York’s Beacon Theatre. There, Bono transformed memoir pages into spoken-word sequences, punctuated by pared-back renditions of U2 anthems. The transition from intimate theater to cinematic medium hinges on director Andrew Dominik’s discerning eye and Erik Messerschmidt’s sculptural lighting. Their collaboration shifts a bare stage into a philosophical arena, inviting viewers to ponder mortality, ambition, and the silent spaces between confession and art.

At its core, the film promises an inward gaze: an invitation to witness an artist confronting his own myths. Monologue and melody entwine in a sparse setting—just a microphone,...

U2 frontman Bono could never be described as a shrinking violet, always ready to bask in any limelight that’s available.

Here he’s at the service of filmmaker Andrew Dominik (or should be that be the other way round?) in a stunning and almost exclusively monochrome journey, inspired by his book tour for his 2022 autobiography Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story.

It’s a glorious mix of both off and onstage material and reflections on life from his Dublin childhood to becoming an international icon with a messianic demeanour.

It begins in the same way as the book with Bono describing in fairly graphic detail the open-heart surgery he undertook in 2016 to repair what describes as a “blister” on his aorta. Paradoxically the condition helped to provide him with additional lung capacity.

Certainly Bono scarcely pauses for breath as he embarks on the journey without his bandmates David Howell Evans (better known as The.

Bono was on hand at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday night for the world premiere of his new Apple documentary, “Bono: Stories of Surrender,” where the U2 frontman received a 7-minute standing ovation following the screening.

Bono grew emotional during the minutes-long ovation. As the applause began to wane, he opened his speech with a few words and a promise to speak fluent French next year.

“I’m not a Frenchman. I’m an Irishman. I’m not even a self-made man,” Bono told the crowd. “You wrote this story. The Edge wrote this story. Adam [Clayton] and Larry [Mullen Jr.] wrote this story. [Paul] McGuinness wrote this story.”

Bono later acknowledged his “Stories of Surrender” director Andrew Dominik, who was not in attendance at the Cannes premiere. “I love your vision,” Bono said. “I can’t believe you got those performances out of me.”

At one point, Bono saluted actor and filmmaker Sean Penn,...

U2 frontman and rock legend Bono just rocked the Palais with documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender, receiving a 6½-minute ovation. At the five-minute mark, he jokingly started to unbutton his shirt to keep the applause going.

After starting his speech with a little French for the hometown crowd, Bono said: “I’m not a French man. I’m an Irish man. And I’m not a self-made man.” Pointing to his wife Ali and then his 45-year U2 bandmates, he added: “You wrote this story. The Edge wrote this story. Adam [Clayton] and Larry [Mullen Jr.] wrote this story. [Longtime band manager] Paul McGuinness wrote this story. We’re still writing it, Paul. Still a work in progress.”

He also acknowledged several others as co-writers, in the name of love.

A rep for director Andrew Dominik, however, said the filmmaker “is unfortunately working right now and could not make it to Cannes.”

Bono addresses the...

Cannes film festival

The U2 singer’s solo stage appearance sees him reflect on his anguished family past and have a decent go at being an ordinary Joe

The stadium-conquering rock superstar Bono finds a smaller arena than usual for this more intimate and much acclaimed “quarter-man” show, performed solo without his U2 bandmates Adam Clayton, David “The Edge” Evans and Larry Mullen Jr and filmed live on stage at New York’s Beacon theatre in 2023 by Andrew Dominik. It’s a confident, often engaging mix of music and no-frills theatrical performance, with Bono often coming across like some forgotten character that Samuel Beckett created but then suppressed due to undue levels of rock’n’roll pizzazz.

Bono delivers anecdotes from his autobiography Surrender, starting with his recent heart scare and going back to his Dublin childhood, his musical breakthrough to global fame, his post-Live Aid charity work on poverty...

I’d love to see Mick Jagger do a one-man show, looking back over his life with the Rolling Stones and his private life without them. Jagger has always been a witty and observant raconteur, and he must have a zillion stories that could singe our eyebrows. Bruce Springsteen’s one-man show, “Springsteen on Broadway,” which opened in 2017, was often bracing, because Springsteen seized the chance to present sides of himself that undercut his image — like the fact that after all his turmoil-of-the-working-man rock ‘n’ roll songs, he is someone who had never even set foot in a factory.

But in “Bono: Stories of Surrender,” the handsomely shot black-and-white film that’s been made of the U2 frontman’s 2022 solo stage show, we watch as Bono tells the story of his life and takes us inside his ambition, his passion, his celebrity, his charity, and his family demons. And while...

Leave it to Bono to turn a book tour into something as extravagant as “Bono: Stories of Surrender,” the Apple TV+ movie that had its world premiere on Friday night at the Cannes Film Festival.

The U2 singer has never been one for half-measures or modesty, and his version of the book tour for his 2022 autobiography “Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story” was a dramatic, theatrical presentation that mixed memory and music to provide snapshots from his life, from a child in Dublin to an international rock star. Presented on a small number of stages around the world, most notably during a 10-night stand in New York’s Beacon Theatre, it was no book reading or stripped down “Springsteen on Broadway”-style presentation, but a sensory delight as theatrical in its own way as U2’s own performances.

And “Bono: Stories of Surrender” takes the Beacon shows as a launching pad – but...

U2’s Bono is seen as a successor to a very small fraternity of world-conquering rock stars – the likes of Springsteen, Jagger and Bowie. He’s less recognized as a successor to a literary tradition: the Irish pantheon of Joyce, Yeats, Beckett, Heaney, and O’Brien.

But his impressive gift of language shines in the new documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender, directed by Andrew Dominik, which just premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the Special Screenings section.

“I was born with an eccentric heart,” he notes wryly near the beginning of the film – an iteration of his one-man show at New York’s Beacon Theatre, which in turn grew out of his 2022 memoir, Bono: 40 Songs, One Story. The lovely “eccentric heart” line gestures to an inherited condition that would almost cost him his life: He underwent emergency aortic valve-replacement surgery in 2016. That near-death experience in his mid-50s seems...

The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival continues on Day 4 with the world premieres of Eddington, directed by Ari Aster; Bono: Stories of Surrender, and Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut, The Chronology of Water.

Aster’s Eddington premiered today, featuring Joaquin Phoenix as a small-town Sheriff in a New Mexico conflict with Pedro Pascal’s Mayor. The film’s ensemble cast includes Joaquin Phoenix, Austin Butler, Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Clifton Collins Jr., Micheal Ward, Amelie Hoeferle, Matt Gomez Hidaka, and Cameron Mann, who all walked the red carpet at the Grand Théâtre Lumière on Friday, May 16th

Related: ‘Eddington’ Cannes Film Festival Premiere Photos: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler & More

The Palais des Festivals played host this evening to the debut of Kristen Stewart’s The Chronology of Water, starring Imogen Poots, Thora Birch, Michael Epp, Esmé Creed-Miles, Kim Gordon, and Jim Belushi.

There’s “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” and then there’s “How to Sufficiently Interview Someone Whose Work You’ve Spent Countless Meaningful Hours with While Over Zoom to Promote a Film About Themselves, All Inside of Eight Minutes.” Who knows what number among the hundreds of thousands (millions?) that have attended U2 concerts in the last 45 years would sell an arm and leg for limited time of any kind with Bono, whose odd mixture of talent, sincerity, and absurdity have left an imprint on fans that goes well past the standard rockstar glitz and glamour.

My own opportunity arose via “Bono: Stories of Surrender,” Andrew Dominik’s cinematic rendition of a one-man stage show that itself condensed Bono’s compelling, self-effacing memoir “Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story.” Those who read that book will recognize many stories captured herein, though they’ve been jumbled around, reanimated by Bono’s buoyant presence,...

Let’s get the obvious joke out of the way first: no, despite being produced by Apple, this film will not be automatically and nonconsensually forced onto your iPhone. Unlike U2’s notorious 2014 album Songs Of Innocence, which one day magically appeared on the world’s Apple devices whether you liked it or not, you actually have a choice over whether to watch Bono: Stories Of Surrender. Which way you go with that choice rather depends on how big a fan you are.

This is an unusual proposition. A filmed version of Bono’s well-received one-man stage show — itself an adaptation of his memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story — Stories Of Surrender can’t really be called a documentary in the truest sense. There is no archive footage here, no childhood photos, no early recordings of the band. Filmed by Australian director Andrew Dominik in gorgeously crisp, contrast-heavy, black-and-white photography, it...

Exclusive: As Bono premieres his Andrew Dominik-directed Apple docu Bono: Stories of Surrender on Friday, Deadline can reveal he’s not the only rock icon making noise at the Cannes Film Festival. Also present on the Croisette in an underground capacity is Red Hot Chili Peppers. A documentary on the band’s formative years is being quietly shopped, with secret screenings by Submarine Entertainment.

The fact that the surviving members of the band participated on camera in this documentary is surprising, since they’ve turned down many offers in the past. That might be because of the shrapnel and deaths from drug use. That dark side of the music business is part of their overall tapestry to go along with 120 million albums sold worldwide and membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

More refreshing is the moment they transformed from L.A. misfits to genre-defying music pioneers,...

Given that (a) the Cannes Film Festival always takes place in mid-May, (b) Primetime Emmy nominations voting always begins in mid-June, and (c) Cannes draws a large cross-section of the entertainment industry and press, it has always made sense for Emmy hopefuls to show up on the Croisette. But arguably, never have more made the pilgrimage than this year.

They have come — or will be coming — for a wide variety of reasons.

Robert De Niro, a best actor in a limited or anthology series or a TV movie contender for Netflix’s Zero Day, who usually does everything he can to avoid the spotlight, jetted in to collect an honorary Palme d’Or on opening night, May 13, and the following day participated in a rendez-vous about his career.

Also at the opening night ceremony, as a spectator, was Marco Calvani, a best supporting actor in a comedy series contender for...

Bono laid bare his transformation from Dublin lad Paul Hewson into a global rock star and human rights crusader in his memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. Now, premiering at Cannes, comes the Andrew Dominik-directed documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender. Culled from the U2 frontman’s 2023 one-man show at New York’s Beacon Theater, Bono weaves performances of his best-known hit songs into a tale of a youngster suffering the shocking loss of his mother and trying in vain to get the needed acknowledgment from a grieving father who withdrew and never mentioned his dead wife in their Dublin home. The need to fill the void and to be seen and heard led to a miracle. In the span of a week, the 16-year-old Bono found the family that would sustain him. In short order, he fell in love with future wife Ali, and found his bandmates Dave Evans (The...

From Rent to Hamilton, RadicalMedia has a long history of bringing Broadway’s most famous stage hits to the big screen. Next up, the company is transporting New York’s Beacon Theatre to the Croisette, with Bono in tow.

Bono: Stories of Surrender, based on the U2 singer’s one-man show, Surrender: An Evening of Words, (itself inspired by his memoir Surrender: 40 Songs), is getting a special screening at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The doc, which is set to hit Apple TV+ shortly after its festival debut, is directed by Andrew Dominik (Blonde) and sees Bono discuss his career, family and activism while also performing U2’s iconic songs.

“This is probably the most autobiographical film and it is very much faithful to Bono’s story,” says RadicalMedia founder and CEO Jon Kamen.

Outside of the theater, Radical’s nonfiction work largely revolves around music. The company has...

Irish singer-songwriter and activist Bono, real name Paul David Hewson, is the founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band U2. He is one of the most influential and respected music artists worldwide. The artist’s lyrics depict his personal experiences shared with the other members of the group. The 22-time Grammy Award-winning artist has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Now, not only will his music be heard, but Apple Original Films is bringing the singer’s best-selling memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, into a visual exploration with Bono: Stories of Surrender. But fans are curious how much of it is based on a real story. Let’s find out.

Is Bono: Stories of Surrender an actual adaptation of Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story?

According to reports by THR, Andrew Dominik is serving as the director of the upcoming documentary, Bono: Stories of Surrender. It...

It’s a beautiful day for U2 fans, as Apple has unveiled the first trailer for “Bono: Stories of Surrender,” the filmed version of the band’s frontman Bono’s one-man stage show as directed by Andrew Dominik.

For Dominik, this is the filmmaker’s first movie since 2022’s “Blonde,” the critically panned Marilyn Monroe biopic starring Ana de Armas. But the film is also set to premiere as a special screening at Cannes before it debuts on Apple TV+.

The film debuts on the streamer on May 30 and will also be available via the Apple Vision Pro headset and Apple Immersive Video. It is the first feature-length film made available in the 180-degree VR format, featuring both 8K picture and spatial audio.

“Stories of Surrender” is based on Bono’s memoir “Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story,” with which he had an accompanying book tour and theater tour made into a...

Today, Apple Original Films unveiled the trailer for the highly anticipated film, Bono: Stories of Surrender, a bold and lyrical visual exploration of Bono’s one-man show by the same name, set to premiere globally on Friday, May 30, 2025 on Apple TV+. Based on his celebrated memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, and the accompanying book/theatre tour, the film hails from RadicalMedia and Plan B Entertainment.

Bono: Stories of Surrender is a vivid reimagining of Bono’s critically-acclaimed one-man stage show, Stories of Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief…, as he pulls back the curtain on a remarkable life and the family, friends, and faith that have challenged and sustained him, revealing personal stories about his journey as a son, father, husband, activist and rockstar. Along with never-before-seen, exclusive footage from the Beacon Theatre shows, the film features Bono performing many of the iconic U2 songs that have shaped his life and legacy.

"In pursuit of truth we are capable of more untruth than most." Apple TV has unveiled an official trailer for the documentary titled Bono: Stories of Surrender, arriving for streaming at the end of May - exactly one month from now. Based on his celebrated memoir, "Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story," and also the accompanying book & theatre tour, the film hails from RadicalMedia and Plan B. This is actually premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in a few weeks as a Special Screening, just before it arrives on streaming right after. A bold and lyrical visual exploration of Bono's one-man show by the same name. For anyone interested: Bono: Stories of Surrender (Immersive) will be the first feature-length film available in Apple Immersive Video - in the Apple Vision Pro - a "remarkable media format recorded in 8K with Spatial Audio to produce a 180-degree video that places viewers onstage...

Bono shares some of the most meaningful stories from his life and career in the new trailer for Bono: Stories of Surrender, set to premiere May 30 on Apple TV+.

The doc is described as a “vivid reimagining” of the one-man show Bono performed at the Beacon Theatre in New York City in April 2023 (and which was based partly on his memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story). The film will feature never-before-seen footage from those shows, along with performances of an array of U2 classics. (The trailer features versions of “City of...

After his wildly divisive Blonde was released three years ago, there’s been no movement on a new narrative feature from Andrew Dominik, but he’s back in the relatively safe territory of the concert documentary with his latest work. Ahead of a world premiere at Cannes Film Festival and Apple TV+ release on May 30, the first trailer has now arrived for Bono: Stories of Surrender.

Based on Bono’s memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, and the accompanying book/theatre tour, the film is described as a “vivid reimagining of Bono’s critically-acclaimed one-man stage show, Stories of Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief…, as he pulls back the curtain on a remarkable life and the family, friends, and faith that have challenged and sustained him, revealing personal stories about his journey as a son, father, husband, activist and rockstar. Along with never-before-seen, exclusive footage from the Beacon Theatre shows,...

Love him or hate him, mystery fans can't get enough of Harlan Coben. The American novelist has attracted devoted readers from around the world who buy his books for their shocking twists, indulgent characters, and thrillingly baffling conclusions. Some have favorably compared him to Stephen King; others, such as The Independent's Nick Hilton, feel that he makes "The Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown look like "a paragon of literary restraint" by comparison.

Naturally, Coben has caught the attention of Hollywood producers. There had been some successful attempts at adapting his work in the 2000s and 2010s, as well as a few unsuccessful attempts. Things really took off in 2018, when Coben signed a deal with Netflix to produce several serialized adaptations of his work. The results have been very mixed, so we took a look at them all to determine which Harlan Coben Netflix series is the best.

Read...

It is a mixed bag for UK and Irish films at this year’s Cannes – there’s a strong showing in Un Certain Regard, but it is a weak year overall for UK-Ireland female representation.

In Competition, as it stands, there are no films from UK or Irish directors.

However inUn Certain Regard, there are three UK-Irish debut features in selection.UK-Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr’sMy Father’s Shadowstars UK actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù. The semi-autobiographical tale is set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian capital Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis.

UK-Ireland outfit Element Pictures produces,...

It is a mixed bag for UK and Irish films at this year’s Cannes – there’s a strong showing in Un Certain Regard, but it is a weak year overall for UK-Ireland female representation.

In Competition, as it stands, there are no films from UK or Irish directors.

However inUn Certain Regard, there are three UK-Irish debut features in selection.UK-Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr’sMy Father’s Shadowstars UK actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù. The semi-autobiographical tale is set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian capital Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis.

UK-Ireland outfit Element Pictures produces,...

The Cannes Film Festival 2025 line-up reveals the films that likely will be chatted about long through the year. Here’s what’s showing.

Cannes Film Festival has published its official line-up for this year’s event, and we get our first hint at the films that are set to be part of the awards conversation for the coming months. The festival will be screening several interesting films, including the directorial debuts of Scarlett Johansson and Harris Dickinson in the new filmmaker category.

Screening out of competition will be Spike Lee’s latest offering, Highest 2 Lowest, and Tom Cruise and company are taking Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning to the festival too. This has proved to be a public relations misstep in the past (remember Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny?) but with Mission releasing so soon after the festival, this seems like a savvy move to us.

After a tricky few years, the world’s pre-eminent film festival has come roaring back and is set to feature new work by Kelly Reichardt, another Joachim Trier drama starring Renate Reinsve and Cannes icons the Dardenne brothers

The Cannes film festival selection has been unveiled by its director Thierry Frémaux, with all its auteur heavyweights and cineaste silverback gorillas, including new work by Kelly Reichardt, Julia Ducournau, Ari Aster, Wes Anderson, Joachim Trier and Carla Simón. Tom Cruise’s final Mission: Impossible movie is showing out of competition; Robert De Niro is getting an honorary Palme d’Or – and probably treating audiences to a characteristically tightlipped onstage interview – and Bono arrives at the red carpet for Andrew Dominik’s documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender. Actor turned director Scarlett Johansson comes to Cannes with her Eleanor the Great, a quirky New York tale starring veteran player June Squibb.

There is also,...

The full list of films that will be screening at the 78th Annual Cannes Film Festival has been released. The line-up was announced this morning by the Cannes delegate general Thierry Frémaux and President Iris Knobloch at a press conference in Paris. The Hollywood Reporter has shared the program listing for this year’s event. While there are a number of anticipated high-profile titles, a bevy of auteurs will be showcasing their latest, including Kelly Reichardt, who will be returning to the competition with The Mastermind. The film is an art-heist drama and stars Josh O’Connor and John Magaro, which takes place during the Vietnam War.

Joachim Trier, the Norwegian filmmaker who made a splash in 2021 with The Worst Person of the World, returns with the new film Sentimental Value, which features Renate Reinsve. Julia Ducournau, the director of the surreal film, Titane, which got her a Palme d’Or...

The Cannes Film Festival has released the official selection for its 78th edition, featuring a mix of returning auteurs and first-time filmmakers. Scheduled to run from May 13 to 24, this year’s lineup includes world premieres from directors such as Wes Anderson, Julia Ducournau, Ari Aster, and Richard Linklater.

Announced by festival delegate general Thierry Frémaux and president Iris Knobloch during a press conference in Paris, the lineup spans the main competition, Un Certain Regard, and various sidebars. French actor and Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche will serve as jury president. The rest of the jury remains unannounced.

Among the films selected for competition is Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, debuting shortly before its theatrical release. Ari Aster returns with Eddington, a Western-inflected film distributed by A24. Linklater brings Nouvelle Vague, focused on the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless. Ducournau’s Alpha is set in the 1980s and centers on...

The guessing game around which films could make the lineup for the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, which runs from May 13—24, came to an end this morning at a press conference in Paris by Cannes delegate general Thierry Frémaux and president Iris Knobloch. If you tapped the latest works by Ari Aster (Eddington), Kelly Reichardt (The Mastermind), Richard Linklater (Nouvelle Vague), Wes anderson (The Phoenician Scheme), and the Dardenne brothers (Young Mothers) to make the cut, then you were correct.

Neon, which is on a five-year winning streak of Palme d’Or winners, two of which went on to win best picture at the Oscars (Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite and Sean Baker’s Anora), will try to make it a sixth with, for now, either of the two films it already has in its stable: Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value and Julie Ducournau’s Alpha.

Absent from the...

Among the lineup for the Cannes Film Festival’s 78th edition are some big names from Hollywood and global cinema. We already knew that Tom Cruise will light the fuse on Paramount/Skydance’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning on May 14 out of competition, while there was plenty of speculation that Scarlett Johansson would have a pair of movies on the Croisette. The latter has now been confirmed with Johansson’s directorial debut Eleanor the Great set for Un Certain Regard, and her acting reteam with Wes Anderson in his latest, The Phoenician Scheme, in Competition. Also confirmed is Ari Aster’s Eddington with Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal and Emma Stone.

Many more stars are potentially in store now that the bulk of the official selection has been revealed. Not everyone is confirmed to attend the Riviera shindig, but here’s a look at some of the possibilities.

Cannes...

The Cannes Film Festival announced its 2025 lineup on Thursday morning. Several expected contenders are set for world premieres on the French Riviera, including new projects from Scarlett Johansson, Richard Linklater, Wes Anderson, Ari Aster, Kelly Reichardt, Joachim Trier, and more.

Among the titles that will premiere at Cannes this year are Eleanor the Great, Johansson’s directorial debut with a lead role for June Squibb; Nouvelle Vague, Linklater’s tribute to the French New Wave and the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless; The Mastermind, Reichardt’s latest about an art-world heist with roles for Josh O’Connor, Alana Haim, and John Magaro; Splitsville (directed by Michael Angelo Covino), a Neon release with Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona; and Sentimental Value, Triet’s follow-up to The Worst Person in the World with Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning in the cast.

Other films of note include Alpha (Cannes winner Julia Ducournau...

The Official Selection for the 78th Cannes Film Festival was revealed Thursday, with 19 movies in Competition. See full lists below.

Familiar names who will launch new works in the Competition include Wes Anderson, who brings his latest flick The Phoenician Scheme; Richard Linklater will launch his Paris-shot Nouvelle Vague; Jochim Trier debuts his latest feature Sentimental Value; and Titane Palme d’Or winner Julia Ducournau returns with Alpha.

Cannes will open this year with Leave One Day by first-time French filmmaker Amelie Bonnin. Thierry Frémaux said during his presser this morning that it was the first time a debut film has been selected to open the festival. Also hitting the Croisette for the first time is horror auteur Ari Aster, who returns to feature filmmaking with his buzzy A24 feature Eddington.

Related: Thierry Frémaux Talks ‘Mission: Impossible’; Star Presence; Hollywood Introspection & Oscar Track Record

Elsewhere, American filmmaker Kelly Reichardt will...

Ahead of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, taking place May 13 to 24, the lineup has now been unveiled. Iris Knobloch, President of the Festival de Cannes, and Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate, have revealed the slate this morning.

Highlights include Ari Aster’s Eddington, Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind, Joachim Trier’s Sentimal Value, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent, Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, Julia Ducournau’s Alpha, Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident, Carla Simon’s Romeria, and more. In other sections we have Rebecca Zlotowski’s Vie Privée, the directorial debuts of Scarlett Johansson and Harris Dickinson, Michael Angelo Covino’s Splitsville, Sebastián Lelio’s The Wave, Sylvain Chomet’s The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol, and more.

See below.

In Competition

After (Oliver Laxe)

Alpha (Julia Ducournau)

The Eagles of the Republic (Tarik Saleh)

Eddington (Ari Aster)

Dossier 137 (Dominik Moll...

The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is looking to be another knockout, with some of this year’s hottest features, including Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague and Ari Aster’s Eddington set to premiere on the Croisette.

Cannes delegate general Thierry Frémaux and president Iris Knobloch announced this year’s lineup at a press conference in Paris on Thursday morning.

The 2025 competition lineup is packed with auteur heavyweights, including Kelly Reichardt, who returns to Cannes competition with The Mastermind, an art-heist drama starring Josh O’Connor and John Magaro, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War; Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier, who returns to the Croisette after his 2021 triumph (with The Worst Person of the World) with Sentimental Value, also featuring Renate Reinsve; and dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi, who will be back in Cannes competition with his latest drama, A Simple Accident.

Movies from Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, Ari Aster, Julia Ducournau, Kelly Reichardt and more will compete for the prestigious Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The 2025 edition is shaping up to be a glamorous one with a large Hollywood presence — and of course, lots of stars. Earlier this week, it was officially announced that Tom Cruise will be back on the Croisette with “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” which is debuting out of competition. Other big names likely to be in attendance include Jodie Foster, who stars in Rebecca Zlotowski’s out-of-competition crime comedy “Vie Privée”; Josh O’Connor, who is leading two films in competition with Kelly Reichardt’s heist movie “The Mastermind” and Oliver Hermanus’ gay romance “The History of Sound” alongside Paul Mescal; Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal and Austin Butler, who feature in Aster’s A24 competition film “Eddington”; and the...

The Cannes Film Festival will reveal its 2025 lineup on Thursday morning European time and expectations are high for a typically bountiful lineup of starry fare and arthouse treats. Cannes remains the Super Bowl for indie film lovers.

It’s always a nervous waiting game for those connected to Cannes hopefuls. Multiple festival regulars have told us that selectors are later than ever in giving them notice. The festival has often announced a major movie or two by now, but not this year. The identity of Juliette Binoche‘s fellow jury members are still also under wraps.

In terms of films in the running, much of the reporting we did in February in our Cannes and Venice prediction piece has either come to pass or is shaping up as we forecast. You can read that story here.

Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning remains the most likely big Hollywood studio splash.

There was a time when the Western was every bit as popular as the superhero movies of today. Well, perhaps not of today, considering Marvel should arguably allow the Marvel Cinematic Universe to die. But Western films have been integral to the history of cinema since the silent era, becoming a reliably popular genre throughout the first half of the 20th century before diminishing in the latter half. Even then, however, we still got some outstanding efforts as the 20th century drew to a close, and even the last decade has seen some great Westerns released.

Of course, as the genre persisted, it transmogrified. Westerns began by telling simple stories of good vs evil only to morph into the kind of revisionist fare we've seen in more recent decades. These more complex takes on the genre subvert well-established tropes and standards in order to re-evaluate Westerns and the often real-life stories on which they're based.

It’s now only a few months until the “John Wick” franchise is back on the big screen — this time, with the Oscar-nominated Ana de Armas in the lead.

The new trailer for “Ballerina” shows de Armas in action as Eve Macarro, a Russian ballerina-turned-assassin with an eye for vengeance against the men who killed her family. But de Armas isn’t alone, as Keanu Reeves makes his anticipated return as John Wick.

“Ballerina” takes place in between “John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum” and “John Wick: Chapter 4,” expanding the assassin role originally played by Unity Phelan with de Armas’ take on the character. The film comes two years since audiences saw Reeves in the fourth entry, which became the highest-grossing installment in the series with a worldwide gross of over $440 million. Altogether, the first four “John Wick” films grossed over $1 billion worldwide.

This latest installment in the “John Wick...

For a while, Apple TV+’s adaptation of Dennis Tafoya’s Dope Thief fits into one of my favorite subgenres of crime fiction: Longtime friends, bonded by shared trauma, engage in petty crime to survive, only to find themselves caught up in something bigger and more dangerous than they could have imagined.

Never quite a buddy comedy, but definitely a morbidly funny thriller fueled by economic desperation, Dope Thief gets off to an extremely promising start.

Stars Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura have the instant and volatile chemistry of men who have weathered so many dark moments together that they love each other even when they hate each other. Series creator Peter Craig has a good grasp on the obscenity-filled, vernacular-peppered language of this world. Pilot director Ridley Scott grounds the story in the urban grit of its Philadelphia and Philadelphia-adjacent locations.

The story in Dope Thief starts small and then things escalate and,...

“Bono: Stories of Surrender” premieres May 30, 2025 on Apple TV+. Photo Credit: Apple TV+ Get ready for an intimate and groundbreaking experience as Apple Original Films announces Bono: Stories of Surrender, a documentary event that promises to be a powerful and lyrical exploration of Bono’s life and artistry. Set to premiere globally on Friday, May 30, 2025, on Apple TV+, this film, directed by the acclaimed Andrew Dominik, is poised to captivate audiences with its raw honesty and compelling storytelling. Based on Bono’s celebrated memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, and the accompanying book/theatre tour, Bono: Stories of Surrender offers a visual feast that reimagines his critically acclaimed one-man stage show, Stories of Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief…. This isn’t just a documentary; it’s a deeply personal journey with Bono as he pulls back the curtain on his extraordinary life. Viewers can expect to delve...

Bono’s Stories of Surrender stage show will come to the small screen this May as a new documentary heading to Apple TV+.

Bono: Stories of Surrender, featuring never-before-seen footage from the U2 singer’s April 2023 residency at the Beacon Theatre, where he staged a one-man show in support of Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, a memoir told through 40 U2 songs.

Apple TV+ added of the documentary, directed by Andrew Dominik (Blonde, Nick Cave’s One More Time With Feeling), Bono “pulls back the curtain on a remarkable life and the family,...

Today, Apple Original Films announced the groundbreaking new documentary event Bono: Stories of Surrender, a bold and lyrical visual exploration of Bono’s one-man show by the same name, to premiere globally on Friday, May 30, 2025, on Apple TV+.

Based on his celebrated memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, and the accompanying book/theatre tour, the film hails from RadicalMedia and Plan B Entertainment, with award-winning filmmaker Andrew Dominik directing.

Bono: Stories of Surrender is a vivid reimagining of Bono’s critically acclaimed one-man stage show, Stories of Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief… As he pulls back the curtain on a remarkable life and the family, friends and faith that have challenged and sustained him, he also reveals personal stories about his journey as a son, father, husband, activist and rock star.

Along with never-before-seen, exclusive footage from the Beacon Theatre shows, the film features Bono performing many...

Exclusive: Apple Original Films has completed production on Bono: Stories of Surrender, a documentary film about the making of the U2 singer and songwriter. Directed by The Assassination of Jesse James helmer Andrew Dominik, the film is a visual exploration of Bono’s one-man show by the same name that was inspired by his bestselling memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story.

The film will premiere globally on Friday, May 30 on Apple TV+. That day will see the release of an immersive version of the film to premiere on Apple Vision Pro. That marks the first feature length film available in Apple Immersive Video, a knock-your-socks-off version recorded in 8K with Spatial Audio to produce a 180-degree video that places viewers onstage with Bono, and at the center of his story. That immersive film will be available only on Vision Pro, and according to Apple, the initiative is a key element that...

Nightbitch's cast extends boasts some impressive talent opposite Amy Adams' commanding performance. Nightbitch is a black comedy riff on a classic creature feature, combining the themes of films like An American Werewolf in London with an exploration of motherhood. The film centers around Amy Adams' nameless Mother, who finds herself increasingly frustrated by her domestic life as a mother and wife above all else. Mother finds new freedom in the evenings however, especially as she steadily seems to begin transforming into a dog.

Although the overall film received mixed reviews from critics, Amy Adams' Nightbitch has become a streaming success on Hulu. While the film is anchored by Amy Adams' impressive central performance, the movie also features a strong supporting cast who bring out different shades of the lead character. The stars of Nightbitch range from veterans of the silver screen to modern character actors, all in service of...

Brad Pitt played a hitman in Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly, a film that revolves around a mob poker game that went wrong. Similar to John Wick, Pitt's character's job is to take care of those who need to be taken care of; but unlike Wick, Pitt's Jackie has his own way of carrying out a hit. He prefers to handle violence with a gentle hand, relatively speaking. In many ways, Jackie resembles Keanu Reeves' Baba Yaga, whose presence automatically delivers a chilling note.

While the two both use a gun, Jackie has a similar mentality to Mads Mikkelsen's Dr. Hannibal Lecter. He likes to toy with his prey and makes sure that they won't see where the bullets are coming from. Jackie also has a signature overkill. However, while John Wick is a successful mob film with excellent world-building and character development beyond Reeves' star power,...

Having made a splash with tense and brutal petty crime caper short “No Key,” an Indie Short Fest winner that also screened at Fantastic Fest, Casablanca-born director Walid Messnaoui and fast-building Moroccan production house Caestus Films are preparing Messnaoiu’s first feature, “The Last Beast of Atlas,” described as a twilight Western and drama.

“The Last Beast” rates as one of the buzzy debuts to be presented at the Marrakech Film Festival’s Atlas Workshops, which promises a dazzling array of titles from usually young talent from Africa and the Arab World which embrace a huge variety of genres. “The Last Beast” is a prominent example.

Produced by Caestus Films founders Taoufik Rais and El Mahdi Amsrouy, “The Last Beast of Atlas” is set in the heart of the Middle Atlas in the 1990s. It turns on Boulohouch, a legendary outlaw who leading a band of rebels, becomes a symbol of freedom and terror.

Ana de Armas played the fictionalized version of Marilyn Monroe in Andrew Dominik’s psychological biopic, Blonde. The film received praise for de Armas’ performance and the visuals, while the screenplay polarized critics. Interestingly, de Armas had to sit through two and a half hours on the makeup chair to transform into the leading lady during each shoot day.

Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde (2022) | Credits: Netflix

The film shifted between color and black and white, which significantly impacted how the makeup was applied to de Armas. The Ballerina actress’ efforts were recognized with nominations for the Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG Award. Meanwhile, the film received Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay.

Ana de Armas’ Makeup For Blonde Took 2.5 Hours Each Day Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde | Credits: Netflix

It took some heavy lifting on the parts of Ana...