Cannes 2012: Will 'The Master,' Terrence Malick's New Film, James Gray's Latest & More Actually Premiere?

Features

by Kevin Jagernauth
February 20, 2012 12:02 PM
21 Comments

A Longshot

“Nero Fiddled” (dir. Woody Allen)
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Allen, Ellen Page, Penelope Cruz, Robert Begnini, Alison Pill, Greta Gerwig, Judy Davis
Yes, France loves Woody and Woody loves France. However, with this movie being an Italian set tale featuring the country’s beloved Roberto Benigni, a Venice premiere is far more fitting. If it bowed anywhere else, it would practically be a scandal.

"Dans La Maison" (dir. Francois Ozon)
Cast: Fabrice Luchini, Emmanuelle Seigner, Kristin Scott-Thomas
Even though he's a native hero, lensing on this one only began late last year and Ozon was recently sidetracked by jury duty at this year's Berlin Film Festival. Could he knock this out in a record amount of time? Yeah, sure, anything is possible but our guess is that this comedic thriller will instead make a fall festival appearance.

“Song For Marion” (dir. Paul Andrew Williams)
Cast: Terrence Stamp, Vanessa Redgrave, Gemma Arteton
Though The Weinstein Company picked up the Brit film last fall and it has all the trappings of serious Oscar bait (grumpy old man becomes involved with his wife’s choir after she gets stricken with cancer) we’d be surprised if they rolled it out this early. “The Artist” -- being a black-and-white silent film with no major stars -- needed that early Cannes love and push, but this is a different animal, a film strictly in the crowdpleaser mode that seems far more suited to a Telluride or TIFF premiere where audience reaction and buzz will much more helpful for this film’s inevitable Oscar campaign. This populist pic would be an odd fit for Cannes and we don’t see it being included in the lineup.

“The Congress” (dir. Ari Folman)
Cast: Robin Wright, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Paul Giamatti, Danny Huston
This one has come up in a few conversations, but it’s not going to make it. The ambitious film that is blending live action and animation has been through an intense production that is still on going and the director himself revealed in December that, “The movie should be done by January 2013." So maybe next year.

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21 Comments

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Ian | February 25, 2012 12:00 PMReply

At Efm the producer revealed that lee Daniels the paperboy will have its world premiere at Cannes. Cosmopolis, on the road and moonrise kingdom have already announced French premiere dates that are the same dates as Cannes, so all 4 films are pretty much locks at this point.
deepak kumar | February 23, 2012 7:52 AMReply

i like it.
cinephile | February 22, 2012 1:17 PMReply

What about "What Maisie Knew", the modern-day-Henry-James-adaptation by "The Deep End" directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel, starring Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan and Alexander Skarsgard ? I know it's a longshot, but I read somewhere that the producer is hoping to premiere it in Cannes.
Neil | February 21, 2012 3:56 AMReply

hm...might be the first time Wong Kar-Wai gets placed to some category other than In Competition, if the film turns out to 1) actually make it in time and 2) be more commercial. Yet again, Johnnie To was allowed In Competition for "Vengeance" a few years back, and that film was pretty darn mainstream.
RNL | February 20, 2012 8:37 PMReply

"Spider" wasn't the last film Cronenberg took to Cannes. "A History of Violence" played in competition in 2005.
Kevin | February 20, 2012 9:01 PM

Right you are, thanks for the heads up.
DJAHA | February 20, 2012 7:28 PMReply

Longshot: "Life of Pi" (dir. Ang Lee)
Maggie | February 20, 2012 3:45 PMReply

What about Prometheus? Early reports suggested it might show out of competition.
Jeff | February 20, 2012 3:02 PMReply

Ozon's film wrapped in September 2011, and was likely in the can before he left for Berlin.
LOU | February 20, 2012 2:40 PMReply

Is Piper Perabo really in the untitled Terrence Malick project?
Kevin | February 20, 2012 2:41 PM

Oops. Yeah, no she's not. Not sure where my brain was on that one.
amber | February 20, 2012 2:27 PMReply

I am dying to see On the road and snow white and the huntsman I hope it would premiere in Cannes that would be cool plus I don't mind seeing more Kristen Stewart <3
Jack | February 20, 2012 2:12 PMReply

Here is a sure In Competition entry:

Carlos Reygadas' Post Tenebras Lux
hank | February 20, 2012 1:46 PMReply

It's not called "THE MASTER"
Taylor Jones | February 20, 2012 1:37 PMReply

Reygadas, Seidl, Hsiao-hsien?
Huffy | February 20, 2012 12:47 PMReply

No Lars? Kidding, kidding. Seriously though, how long until they welcome him back? I've got three years.
Lucas | February 20, 2012 12:45 PMReply

Seriously, what is going on with The Grandmasters. At least I hope it's released in '12, even if it doesn't go to Cannes
maxime | February 20, 2012 12:42 PMReply

Xavier Dolan's first picture was "J'ai tuÃ© ma mÃ¨re", not "Je tue ma mere".
maxime | February 20, 2012 12:43 PM

also, it's "Les amours imaginaires". sorry.
BACALL | February 20, 2012 12:23 PMReply

What about The Great Gatsby? Has it finished filming yet? Probably best to premiere at the NYFF but ya never know!
Kevin | February 20, 2012 12:26 PM

Not gonna happen. Was still filming last month, and the fact the Baz is turning around a movie in about a year is a miracle in and of itself.