Francis Ford Coppola, Demi Moore, George Lucas, Greta Gerwig, the Americans are expected to be numerous on the Croisette

The long strike that paralyzed Hollywood last year had an impact on film releases, many of which have been postponed until 2025. However, the Americans, from whom a handful of legends are expected on the Croisette, will still be the event at the next Cannes Film Festival, from May 14 to 25. Detail review.

American cinema is never absent from the celebration of world cinema that is the Cannes Film Festival. The historic actors’ strike of 2023 in Hollywood, which paralyzed filming for many months (118 days), has (almost) nothing changed. This year again, Americans will be numerous and will create an event on the Croisette. “American cinema has been impacted“by the strike, because”some films were not ready“, recognized the general delegate of the festival Thierry Frémaux, Thursday morning, during the presentation of the official selection of films in competition. But “American cinema will be fully present“in this 77th edition, he confirmed in the same breath, saluting Columbia Pictures in passing, “which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and will celebrate it in Cannes“.

“VScelebrating young prodigies as well as living legends has always been the DNA of the festival“, recalled the president of the festival Iris Knobloch. And in terms of legends, the Americans will be particularly honored from May 14 to 25, 2024.

Three sacred monsters from the golden age of Hollywood

First of all, it’s George Lucas, the father of sagas Star Wars And Indiana Jones, who will be awarded an honorary Palme d’Or during the closing ceremony on Saturday May 25. The 79-year-old producer and director brought so many heroes into cinematic legend that he became a symbol himself“, summarized Iris Knobloch.

Another monster of American cinema from the golden age of Hollywood, Francis Ford Coppola, the director of Godfather and D’Apocalypse Now, will come to present his latest film, Megalopolis, the most anticipated feature film of the entire official competition. “Dear at the heart of the Cannes Film Festival”as Thierry Frémaux pointed out Thursday morning, the 85-year-old director is part of “from the fairly exclusive club“winners of two Palmes d’Or (obtained for Secret conversation in 1974 and for Apocalypse Now in 1979). Pharaonic project that the filmmaker had for a long time, Megalopolis is a science fiction story starring Adam Driver and Giancarlo Esposito.

Also expected on the red carpet, Kevin Costner, 69, who will present the world premiere of the first part of his tetralogy Horizon, An American Saga. Costner, who in addition to being an actor “is a very great director, started a long adaptation of the conquest of Americae”, revealed Thierry Frémaux on Thursday. “It’s a western, it lasts three hours, everything is there, cowboys, Indians, stagecoaches, caravans“, he added, seeing in this feature film “a great obstinacy on Costner’s part to continue to visit the history of his country.“

Among the major American studios, Warner is “eextremely faithful to Cannes“, recalled Thierry Frémaux on Thursday. For director George Miller, Warner chose the Croisette to present a world premiere Furiosathe new part of the franchise Mad Maxa prequel which notably includes Anna Taylor-Hoy and Chris Hemsworth in the cast.

Young guard, New Wave and curiosities to watch out for

As for the young guard, the festival did things in a big way by entrusting the keys to the 2024 verdict to Hollywood’s new darling: Greta Gerwig, 40 years old, director of barbie, the biggest hit at the box office last year, will be the president of the jury. First American filmmaker to take on this role, the one who has long been a muse of independent cinema as an actress, screenwriter and director (Frances Ha, Lady Bird, Daughters of Doctor March…) East “a free young woman, full of ideas, life and talent”, underlined Iris Knobloch. If we still do not know the names of the artists she will be surrounded by on this jury, her open and fanciful spirit suggests some delightful off-the-charts awards.

Americans do not dominate the official selection this year, but we nevertheless notice a handful of attractive films made in the USA, first and foremost Oh Canada by Paul Schrader and his amazing cast: Richard Gere (the return), Uma Thurman and Jacob Elordi. This is'”a funereal, but not sad, comedy about aging, based on a screenplay by Russell Banks, his last to be filmed, about looking back on youth, about what the occurrences and errors of a life were“, detailed Thierry Frémaux.

Among the curiosities to watch out for, we note Anora by Sean Baker, representative of “the American New Wave“, whose film tells the journey of a sex worker between New York and Las Vegas. And, out of competition and in midnight screening, The Surfer from the Australian director Lorcan Finnegan, with American Nicolas Cage starring.

Made in USA, but from elsewhere

But there aren’t just American directors in Hollywood. The official selection includes three foreign filmmakers, starting with the Greek Yórgos Lánthimos, whose previous feature film Poor Creatures won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2023, and the Oscar for best actress for Emma Stone. He is back with Kinds of Kindnessan intriguing triptych fable for which he reunites with his favorite actress Emma Stone.

Danish director of Iranian origin Ali Abassi leans his way with The Apprentice on the young years of Donald Trump, when he was a young real estate businessman in the 1970s and 1980s. A subject that could not be more topical, a few months before the American presidential elections which will most likely oppose the former Republican president to the current Democratic tenant of the White House Joe Biden, on November 5.

Finally, the Frenchwoman Coralie Fargeat should get noticed with her second feature film, The Substance, a genre film produced by Universal that stars Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Ray Liotta. This is a “gory film assumed, put on protection because there is a lot of blood”, warned Thierry Frémaux. In conclusion, the general delegate nevertheless wished for a festival “peaceful, peaceful and generous” Or “we will only talk about cinema“.