Cannes Market - 2025
The Marché du Cannes (Market) has some hot projects:
Dir/Co-Writer: J. Houston Yang (based on his short film)
Prod Co: 87Eleven (John Wick Series), Capstone (Fall, Riff Raff)
Sales Reps: Capstone Studios, WME
Synopsis:
A mechanic flees through wilderness after witnessing his boss's murder, pursued by a killer drone. With an unexpected ally, he fights to survive and reveal the truth behind the assassination.
Production begins this fall. First in a planned near-future action franchise.
Cast: Penélope Cruz
Dir: Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi (La Mesías)
Prod: Movistar Plus+, Suma Content Films, Le Pacte
Intl Sales: Goodfellas
Synopsis:
Explores what it means to be gay throughout different eras, focusing on "three existences" that are connected through themes of sexuality, desire, pain, and inheritance.
Filming begins in August across Spain and Europe.
Cast: Jacob Elordi, Lily-Rose Depp
Dir: László Nemes (Son of Saul)
Wri: László Nemes & Clara Royer
Prod: Mike Goodridge (Triangle of Sadness), László Nemes
EP: Ilene Feldman, Ori Eisen (Original Films), Nicolas Gonda
Sales/Status: Early talks underway at Cannes; not formally on sale
Synopsis:
Set in Depression-era Appalachia, Outer Dark follows a young woman who bears her brother’s child. He abandons the baby in the woods, lying about its death. As she sets out to find the child, three ominous strangers trail both siblings, leaving a trail of destruction.
Shoot: Aiming for 2026 production. This will be Nemes English-language debut.
Fail-Safe
Cast: Brie Larson
Dir: JT Mollner (Strange Darling)
Wri: Brian Duffield (No One Will Save You), based on the short story by Philip Fracassi
Prod: J.J. Abrams (Bad Robot)
Exec Prod: Caitlin de Lisser-Ellen, Brian Duffield, Brie Larson
Financier: Infrared (FilmNation)
Intl Sales: FilmNation
Domestic Sales: FilmNation, CAA, WME
Synopsis:
A young boy slowly discovers that his beloved parents are hiding a disturbing secret about his mother’s true nature in this modern creature horror.
Cast: Marisa Tomei, Sam Rockwell
Dir/Co-Writer: Zach Golden (High Heart)
Prod: Joseph Restaino (Pig)
Sales: Vaneast Pictures (Danielle Gasher)
Synopsis:
A small-town vet must join forces with his ex-wife and her cop boyfriend to stop the President from destroying NYC during a zombie outbreak, while dealing with his past and saving millions.
The shoot is scheduled for late 2025 in Upstate New York.
Cast: John Travolta
Dir/Wri: Asif Akbar (Boneyard)
Prod: Asif Akbar (Akbar Media), Colin Bates (Dream Syndicate)
Intl Sales: Arclight Films (Predestination, Crash)
Synopsis:
After nearly 30 years in prison, ex-criminal Patrick O’Malley finds God and becomes an FBI informant, working with Special Agent Felix Miller to take down the country’s largest crime syndicate.
The shoot is scheduled for summer 2025 in the U.S.
Lice
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Justin Long, Kevin Connolly
Dir: Jonathan Bensimon (feature debut)
Prod: Kevin Connolly (ActionPark)
Intl Sales Rep: Highland Film Group
Synopsis:
In 1980s Long Island, a parasitic lice outbreak sends a high school into military lockdown. As the infected students turn on each other, a jaded science teacher, a panicked principal, and an outside cop race to contain the horror before it spreads.
The shoot began this week in Canada.
Mother Courage
◦ Cast: Sarah Paulson, Toni Collette, Dianne Wiest, Toby Wallace
◦ Dir: Cody Fern (American Horror Story, Versace)
◦ Prod: Nancy Grant (Mommy)
◦ Financier/International Sales Rep: mk2
◦ Domestic Sales: CAA
Synopsis:
Set against the backdrop of a Broadway production of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage, Sandra Bloom (Paulson), a celebrated actress, begins to unravel as she prepares for her starring role. When her estranged sister April (Collette) returns after 30 years, old wounds are reopened, and long-buried secrets threaten to upend their fragile futures. Wallace plays April’s son, Theo.
The shoot is set for later this year.
Cast: Maika Monro (replacing Margaret Qualley) + Jason Isaacs
Dir: Zachary Wigon (Sanctuary, starring Qualley)
Prod: Dan Kagan (Longlegs)
Financier/International Sales Rep: Anton
Domestic Sales: Anton, UTA Independent Film Group and CAA Media Finance
Synopsis: In 1858, psychopathic governess Winifred Notty (Qualley) arrives at isolated Ensor House to teach the children. As employees mysteriously vanish, the owners grow suspicious of her true motives hidden beneath her disturbing nature.
The shoot is set for March 2025.
Let God Sort It Out
◦ Cast: Martin Freeman, Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace)
◦ Dir: Jamie Adams (She Is Love)
◦ Prod: Andrea Bucko (Dead Man’s Wire), Emanuele Moretti (Assassin Club), Neil Sacker
◦ Financier/International Sales Rep: Motus Studios
Synopsis:
Once-revered rock star Kyle Roberts (Freeman) seeks refuge in a remote sanctuary to battle burnout and demons of the past. But when a gang of petty criminals takes him hostage, Kyle must decide whether to fight back—or spiral further into the abyss of his fractured psyche.
The shoot is underway.
Playtime’s Greenland is all the buzz at the Cannes Film Market. The French filmmaker behind The Marching Band (trailer, which had its world premiere at Cannes last year) is reteaming with the studio for his next film, Greenland (first look photo). The powerful family drama stars mega French actors Sandrine Kiberlain (The Divine Sarah Bernhardt) and Benoit Magimel (The Taste of Things). The film takes place in the aftermath of a young girl’s disappearance during a trip to Norway, when out of nowhere, three years later, her passport resurfaces.
Sangre del Toro
Dir: Yves Montmayeur (The 1000 Eyes of Dr. Maddin)
Subject: Guillermo del Toro
Sales Rep/Prod Co: Brilliant Pictures (Gunslingers)
Synopsis:
A rich, symbolic portrait of Guillermo del Toro, framed as a “modern-day Minotaur”—half man, half monster—wandering the labyrinth of his imagination. The documentary blends the filmmaker’s Mexican roots with his adopted homes in Hollywood, Paris, and Guadalajara, offering an intimate look at the humanistic and monstrous forces that shape his cinematic universe.
We love the first look poster.
Love Is Not the Answer
Dir/Wri: Michael Cera (Juno, Superbad, Barbie)
Star: Pamela Anderson, Steve Coogan, Fred Hechinger, Jamie Dornan
Prod Co: 2AM (Babygirl)
North American Sales: CAA, Mk2
International Sales Rep: Mk2
Synopsis:
A precise yet unpredictable, absurdist comedy that moves between hilarity and heartbreak as it explores modern loneliness and the search for connection.
Dir: Lee Smith (Oscar-winning editor, Dunkirk)
Star: Mads Mikkelsen (Another Round)
Wri: Tony Mosher (Mechanic: Resurrection)
US Sales Rep: Decal (Neon)
International Sales Rep: Neon International
Synopsis:
The story centers on a two members of a Danish special forces team who become ensnared in an international incident while on a mission to one of the coldest and deadliest places on earth.
Dir: Gary Fleder (Homefront)
Star: Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Green
Wri: Dan Gordon (Rambo: Last Blood)
US Sales Rep: CAA Media Finance
International Sales Rep: Highland Film Group
Synopsis:
A criminal plans to fake his death for insurance money while framing his wife's lover. His wife plots to kill him for real and take it all. Both race to outmaneuver each other in a deadly battle of wits.
Panos Cosmatos's (dir: Mandy) blood-saturated imagery births new dimensions in cinema.
His debut, Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010), locates us squarely into a futuristic commune doubling as an asylum. The watching experience makes one feel like they’re a patient under heavy hallucinogens.
His sophomore cinematic psychosphere, Mandy (2018), is best epitomized by a scene of Nicolas Cage forging a medieval battle axe and then doing a massive bump of cocaine.
Cosmatos will now direct Flesh of the Gods, an ‘80s LA vampire rave drama.
The attachments are insane:
Flesh of the Gods
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Kristen Stewart and now Elisabeth Olsen
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en, The Killer)
Producer: Adam McKay (Don't Look Up)
Sales Rep: CAA, WME, XYZ Films
Here is the official synopsis:
Married couple Raoul (Isaac) and Alex (Stewart) each evening descend from their luxury skyscraper condo and head into the city’s electric nighttime realm. When they cross paths with a mysterious and enigmatic figure known as Nameless (Olsen) and her hard-partying cabal, the pair are seduced into a glamorous, surrealistic world of hedonism, thrills and violence.
Cosmatos stated:
“Like Los Angeles itself, Flesh of the Gods inhabits the liminal realm between fantasy and nightmare… Both propulsive and hypnotic, Flesh will take you on a hot rod joy ride deep into the glittering heart of hell.”
There’s no better director to ride into hell with. To the nine circles, we go!
The Spierig Brothers will direct Headless, a modern reimagining of the Headless Horseman myth set on desert highways. Inspired by Mad Max and The Terminator, the film is being shopped at Cannes. Begins filming in Australia later this year.
Prestige Intl. Pictures has acquired global rights (excluding Japan and China) to Heavens: The Boy and His Robot, Singapore’s first live-action mecha film. Directed by Rich Ho and starring Jonathan See, after screenings at Fantasia and Fantasporto, they are shopping for a Cannes sale.
Epsilon Film has sold Robin and the Hoods, a family fantasy adventure starring Naomie Harris and Gwendoline Christie, to Shout! Factory for North America, alongside international deals. The Sky Original follows kids defending their play kingdom from a greedy developer. This was an early pick-up ahead of the Cannes Market, where it will make its debut.
The newest WWII drama, Never Alone, from Finnish film director Klaus Härö (The Fencer), has been picked up by multiple territories globally with the help of Munich-based The Playmaker. The film tells the real stories of Jewish refugees seeking safety in Finland.
Dir: Marc Forster (World War Z)
Star: Angelina Jolie, Aimee Lou Wood (White Lotus 2)
Wri: David Magee (Life of Pi)
Based on: Best selling novel
US Sales Rep: WME
International Sales Rep: Black Bear (Sing Sing)
Synopsis:
A heartwarming and uplifting comedy about a group of strangers that get caught up in an unusual hostage situation on Thanksgiving. A story about compassion, connection, second chances, and eight extremely anxious strangers.
Dir: Jeremiah Zagar (We the Animals)
Cast: Jeremy Allen White, Mandy Patinkin, Isabella Rossellini
North America: WME
International Sales Rep: Charades (Flow), New Europe (Lamb)
Synopsis:
Elisha leads dual lives: daytime family duties and a nighttime project for his son and dying father. A crisis calls him back to Baltimore, dramatically transforming his world.
Ruin
Dir: Niki Caro (The Zookeeper’s Wife)
Cast: Gal Gadot
North America: UTA, WME, CAA
International Sales Rep: Veterans (Emilia Pérez)
Synopsis:
The film follows a nameless ex-Nazi captain who navigates the ruins of post-WWII Germany, determined to atone for his crimes during the war by hunting down the surviving members of his former SS Death Squad.
Dir: Colman Domingo
Prod Co: Miramax
Cast: Sydney Sweeney, David Jonsson
Sales Rep: 193 (Die, My Love)
Synopsis:
The story behind the Hollywood romance of singer Sammy Davis Jr. and actress Kim Novak.
Mother of Flies
Dir: John Adams, Toby Poser, Zelda Adams (Hellbender)
Star: Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, John Adams, Lulu Adams
Wri: The Adams Family
International Sales Rep: Yellow Veil Pictures (Dead Lover)
Synopsis:
When a young woman is diagnosed with a deadly illness, she turns to a witch in the woods for a cure—but every spell has its price. A moody, supernatural horror from the trio behind Hellbender, steeped in eerie folklore and familial dread.
Sponsor
Dir/co-writer: James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now)
Prod Co: Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes
Star/Co-Writer: Jason Segel
Sales Rep: UTA, MK2.
Synopsis:
After a DUI, Peter must choose jail or recovery. He meets Jerry, a sponsor at meetings he reluctantly attends. Jerry's unusual approach transforms support into a troubling situation Peter struggles to leave.
On The Edge
Dir: Octavio Rodriguez (Animator: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)
Sales Rep: Studio 100 Films (200% Wolf)
Synopsis:
Donnie, a cynical but lovable Cuban solenodon, takes on an outrageous mission: to avoid extinction by rebranding himself as a panda, one of the world’s most beloved endangered species.
French director Fred Cavayé’s film is heading to Cannes market for sale, a new adaptation of the post-revolutionary epic Les Misérables. The Anything for Her (Pour Elle) director is promising a new interpretation with a focus on more secondary characters, unlike the Oscar-winning most recent 2010 adaptation. Set to shoot this summer, Studiocanal (The Pianist) is handling sales.
Plus a Miles Davis doc starring Damson Idris. Mick Jagger produces with Goodfellas, doing sales.
Plus, Kevin Spacey jumps into The Awakening. Cloud9 Studios is doing sales.
Plus, Sandra Oh stars in Child’s Play, a psychological thriller. Bankside is doing sales.
Dir: Roger Ross Williams (Amazon’s Cassandro)
Cast: Demi Moore & Colman Domingo
Prod Co: See-Saw Films (Slow Horses)
US Sales Rep: WME, CAA and See-Saw Films’ Cross City Films
International Sales Rep: Rocket Science (The Apprentice) and Cross City Films
Synopsis:
A couple experiences an alien abduction during their honeymoon.
An Oscar-winning director (Williams) with two oscar-nominated stars. And the aliens?! Yes!
Dir/Wri: Roshan Sethi (A Nice Indian Boy)
Cast: Michelle Yeoh
Prod Co: Thunder Road (John Wick)
Sales Rep: Legendary and former chairman of Lionsgate Patrick Wachsberger‘s 193
Synopsis:
A retired surgeon is abducted and forced to operate on a mysterious patient.
Everyone is gunning for a John Wick franchise. This one seems pretty cool.
France’s Nour Films acquires the rights to Lav Diaz’s Magellan ahead of its Cannes premiere. The 16th-century set adventure film follows the young navigator with sales agency Luxbox closing the deal.
Plus, László Nemes (Dir: Son of Saul) is directing Moulin. 193 launches sales.
Plus, a Trump biopic, budgeted at $100M. From Andrea Iervolino (Prod: Ferrari).
And Aaron Eckhart stars in Angel Studios The Old Man in the Dunes.
Photograph 51
Dir: Tom Hooper (The King's Speech)
Cast: Natalie Portman
Financier/Prod Co/International Sales Rep: FilmNation Entertainment (Anora, Conclave)
Domestic sales rep: CAA + FilmNation
Synopsis:
The story of Rosalind Franklin (Portman), the brilliant scientist whose pioneering work in x-ray crystallography captured the image that revealed DNA's double-helix structure, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for all known life.
It’s no stretch to see Harvard-educated Portman playing a Franklin.
The End of It
Cast: Rebecca Hall, Gael García Bernal, Noomi Rapace, Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart)
Dir/Wri: Maria Martinez Bayona (debut film)
Studio: BBC Film
Studio: Mediarpro (Midnight in Paris, The New Pope)
US Sales Rep: WME
International Sales rep (minus Latin America): Bankside (Talk to Me)
Synopsis:
In a near-future world where ageing can be cured and death is now optional, Claire (Rebecca Hall) a former provocative artist approaching her 250th birthday, decides she’s had enough – she wants to die.
Burning Rainbow Farm
Dir: Justin Kurzel (Nitram, The Order)
Cast: Sebastian Stan And Leo Woodall (White Lotus)
Prod Co: Anonymous Content
International Sales Rep: Rocket Science (The Apprentice, The Gentleman)
Domestic sales rep: CAA
Synopsis:
A pair of gay marijuana advocates try to hold their own against the FBI in a brutal five-day standoff.
Kurzel’s recent film The Order explored the extreme territory of a clash between the law and lawlessness, this should be an interesting evolution.
Zero Protocol
Dir: Debs Paterson (Paramount+’s Halo - 2 eps)
Cast: Rebecca Hall
Prod Co: Anonymous Content
Fiancier/International Sales Rep: Anton
Domestic sales rep: WME + Anton
Synopsis:
A NYPD commissioner (Hall) battles to manage a city-wide zombie outbreak exploding in real time, only to discover her teenage daughter is trapped in the middle of the red zone.
Big sci-fi film with a small interpersonal conflict, that’s Hall’s sweet spot as demonstrated in Godzilla x Kong.
The 12 Days of Christmas
Dir: Ben Gregor (The Magic Faraway Tree)
Cast: Michael Sheen and Eva Longoria
Prod Co: Keal Productions (Angels in the Asylum) and Fulwell Entertainment (Hustle)
International sales rep: Protagonist Pictures (The Brutalist)
Synopsis:
The dysfunctional Sullivan family who cancelled Christmas for the fifth year in a row until someone mysterious starts sending them strange gifts.
The Crystal Planet
Cast: Jeremy Irons, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael York
International Sales Rep: Sola Media (A Sloth Story)
Synopsis:
On the recently colonized Crystal Planet, 11-year-old Rea befriends a dinosaur-like cub named Burgy, who was separated from his mother by a mutant monster. As Rea attempts to reunite Burgy with his mother, she faces a dangerous task when they cross paths with the ruthless Governor, who seeks to exploit Burgy's unique abilities for profit. Rea and Burgy must rely on their bond of friendship and courage to overcome the challenges that stand in their way and protect the fragile balance of life on the Crystal Planet.
Possum Song
Dir: Greg Kwedar (Sing Sing)
Cast: Miles Teller
Financier/Prod Co: FilmNation Entertainment (Anora, Conclave)
Domestic sales rep: CAA
Synopsis:
After discovering his secret songwriting partner dead, a country music star struggling to record new material makes a Faustian bargain with a family of possums who have taken up residency within his walls.
Want some insight into Kwedar’s creative process? Check out our workshop with him.
The Revisionist
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Alison Brie, André Holland
EP: Cassian Elwes (The Butler)
US Sales rep: WME
International Sales rep: Palisades Park Pictures (Fast Charlie)
Synopsis:
A novelist's new work spirals out of control as she weaves real people into her narrative. Her imagination blurs reality and fiction, putting her relationships and others at risk as the boundaries between her story and life dissolve.
Prima Facie
Cast/EP: Cynthia Erivo
Domestic sales reps: UTA, CAA
International sales rep: Embankment Films (The Father)
Synopsis:
Tessa, an ambitious defense lawyer expertly represents her clients, including those who are accused of sexual assault. However, she finds out that the law does not provide justice after being raped by a coworker.
Based on the award-winning play.
Left Seat
Cast: Michelle Rodriguez and Richard Gere
Prod Co: Mandalay Pictures (Air, The Birth of a Nation)
Domestic sales reps: WME
International sales rep: Anton
Synopsis:
A traveling salesman is forced to land a plane after its pilot dies.
Sounds like a Twilight Zone episode.
Double Mads Mikkelsen: He will play a disgraced white house chef who now cooks for death row inmates in Last Meals by one of the most underrated directors, Rahmin Bahrani, who directed 99 Homes, a great Sundance film from 2015, and HBO’s Fahrenheit 451. Mikkelsen will also voice a wise, magical carpenter in North from Studio 100 (100% Wolf)
Double Tim Roth: Roth co-stars in The Very Best People alongside Paul Walter Hauser. No plot details are known. UTA is launching. Roth also stars in Holy Molé as a snobbish food critic who gets captured by a cartel member to review their eatery.
One of France’s greatest modern-day directors, Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amélie, Delicatessen), is bringing his newest film, Violette, to the Cannes market with Studiocanal handling sales.
Here’s the synopsis:
Violette, the caretaker at a cemetery in a small town in Bourgogne, lives her daily life to the rhythms of the confidences of random visitors and colleagues.
Based on Valérie Perrin’s bestselling novel Changer L’eau Des Fleurs (Change the Water of the Flowers), the Cesar-winning French actress Leila Bekhti (All Your Faces) will play the titular role surrounded by a cast of:
Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone)
Melvil Poupaud (Jeanne du Barry)
Anouk Grinberg (The Innocent)
Sergio Castellietto (Conclave)
Alban Lenoir (Lost Bullet)
The film began production earlier this week across Burgundy, the Paris region, and the South of France.
Closure
Cast: Michael Kelly, Kevin Pollak, and Mena Suvari
Dir: Will Wernick (Escape Room)
Prod: Jeff and Kelly Delson (Follow Me)
Wri: Jason Rosen
International sales rep: Radiant Films (Borderline)
Synopsis:
Haunted by the loss of his family, Frank’s unresolved trauma blurs the line between reality and delusion. What begins as a routine procedure quickly spirals into a dangerous search for the truth. As Frank digs deeper, he’s tormented by a sinister presence within the prison walls.
The Shepherd
Cast: David Dastmalchian and Georgina Campbell
Dir: John Hyams (Alone)
Prod: Spooky Pictures (Late Night with the Devil)
Wri: Alexander Gustaveson
Domestic sales rep: UTA
International sales rep: Anton
Synopsis:
Follows a young woman in labor fleeing an abusive past who has her escape hijacked by a mysterious stranger hiding an ominous threat in the back of her car.
Frank & Louis (working title)
Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Indira Varma, Rosalind Eleazar
Dir: Petra Biondina Volpe (Late Shift, The Divine Order)
Prod: Zodiac Pictures (Golden Years) and Caspian Films (My Driver & I)
Wri: Esther Bernstorff (4 Kings)
International sales rep: TrustNordisk
Synopsis:
A man serving a life sentence takes an in prison job caring for infirm prisoners suffering from memory losses. The start of the job was for his parole but it turns into a deep emotional and transformative relationship.
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom
Dir: Steve Cox (Shaun the Sheep Movie) and Matthew Walker (Lloyd of the Flies)
Prod: Aardman Animations (Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl)
Wri: Mark Burton (Madagascar) and Giles Pilbrow (Horrible Histories)
International sales rep: StudioCanal
Synopsis:
The new adventure sees the residents of Mossy Bottom Farm looking forward to Halloween – until the clumsy Farmer trashes the Flock’s beloved pumpkin patch. When Shaun turns to a mad scientist to fix the problem, things rapidly spiral out of control, leading to a wild beast roaming the woods.
Propel
Cast: Leslie Grace
Dir: Felipe Vargas (Rosario)
Prod: Mucho Mas Media (The Long Game) and Empirical Evidence
Wri: Jeremy Marwick (Julie)
International sales rep: Altitude
Synopsis:
Propel is a white-knucle thriller that explores family, resilience, and rebirth.
Midair
Cast: Aaron Eckhart
Dir: Timo Vuorensola (Iron Sky)
Prod: Bee Holder Productions (Miranda’s Victim)
Wri: George Mahaffey (Chief of Station)
Domestic sales rep: Concourse Media
Synopsis:
An ex-CIA pilot’s flight goes haywire when he’s stalked, midair, by a terrorist who forces him to overcome a series of deadly obstacles. To outsmart him and keep everyone alive, he must outmaneuver and uncover the truth.
Bone Keeper
Cast: John Rhys-Davies, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Tiffany Hannam-Daniels
Dir: Howard J. Ford (Escape)
Prod: Latitude Films
International sales rep: REinvent
Synopsis:
Six young friends investigate missing persons cases in a remote cave system, unaware they’re being stalked by an ancient creature lurking in the depths.
In the Shadows
Cast: Jasmine Jobson and Finn Cole
Dir: Anthony Wonke (Accidental Spy)
Prod: Sleeper Films (The Favourite) and Affine Films (Destiny of the Main Stage)
Wri. Ursula Rani Sarma (Bodkin)
International sales rep: True Brit Entertainment
Synopsis:
It is inspired by the true story of Ali, who went on to make history as the first non-track and field athlete to compete for Somalia in the Olympic Games.
On the rise, young actors Charles Melton (May December) and Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) are lending their voice to In Waves, a California-set animated feature adapted from illustrator AJ Dungo’s graphic memoir. The upcoming love story is showing a promo at the Cannes market.
Cast: Holly Hunter, Mark Duplass & Sylvia Hoeks
Dir: Francesca Gregorini (Killing Eve)
Prod: Cassien Elwes (The Butler)
Wri: Rachel & Matt Sarnoff
US Sales Rep: UTA
International Sales Rep: Millennium Media (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent)
Synopsis:
The chaotic final 24 hours in the life of Anna Nicole Smith—told from the fractured perspectives of Smith, her psychiatrist, and her former lover—as the film interrogates fame, codependency, and collapse in the American psyche.
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Jean Reno
Dir: Babak Najafi (London Has Fallen)
International Sales Rep: Film Bridge International (Aaron Eckhart’s Classified)
Synopsis:
Carl Rikker (Quaid) is a quiet horticulturist by day—ruthless assassin by night. When he befriends a teenage girl, his carefully hidden double life begins to unravel.
They’ve closed eight territories, including Germany.
Cast: Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone)
Dir/Wri: Michaël R. Roskam (The Drop)
International Sales Rep: Goodfellas
Synopsis:
The Belgian resistance secretly produced a spoof version of the country's leading newspaper, Le Soir, which had become a propaganda tool of the occupying Nazi forces in 1943.
Dir: José María Cicala
Sales Rep: Jinga Films
Synopsis:
In a quiet village, a charming young man named Tomás leads a simple life: caring for his mother, working at the video store and town clinic, and collecting dolls. As women start disappearing, newly arrived Inspector Porter investigates.
Omaha
Cast: Lily McInerny (Palm Trees and Power Lines)
Dir: Cole Webley
Sales Rep: Cercamon (Things Will Be Different)
Synopsis:
After a family tragedy, siblings Ella and Charlie are woken up by their dad and taken on a cross-country journey, experiencing a new world. As their adventure unfolds, Ella begins to understand that things might not be what they seem.
Dir: Safy Nebbou
Sales Rep: Playtime (Black Dog)
US/LatAm/France Distribution: Sony Pictures International Productions
Synopsis:
After his wife's tragic death, a grieving widower travels to Thailand with his recently adopted 4-year-old daughter to find her birth mother, hoping the journey will help them heal and bond together.
Wolfram: A Sequel to Sweet Country
Dir: Warwick Thornton (The New Boy)
Sales Rep: Paradise City (Blue Ruin, Atropia)
Synopsis:
Set in the 1930s, follows three children who escape their white masters and journey across central Australia seeking safety.
Cannes Marche has some spectacular indies launching:
Bunker
Cast: Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Stephen Graham
Dir/Wri: Florian Zeller (Dir: The Father)
US Sales Rep: CAA and WME
International Sales Rep: FilmNation (Conclave, Anora)
Synopsis:
When an architect accepts a morally ambiguous project — building a survivalist bunker for a tech billionaire — his wife begins to question their marriage after 17 years together.
Zeller wrote the film for Cruz and Bardem, who have been married 17 years. This marks their 5th film together after Jamón Jamón (1992), Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), Loving Pablo (2017), and Everybody Knows (2018).
Zeller’s The Father twists Anthony Hopkins' relationship with his daughter(s) through scenes which both stabilize and destabilize him; it’s brilliant. We look forward to how Zeller mines Bardem and Cruz’s marriage for similar fractures.
Rats!
Prod: Paul Brooks (Pitch Perfect)
Dir: Todd Strauss-Schulson (A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas)
Studio: Lionsgate
Synopsis:
A deadly swarm of rats terrorizes New York City, forcing officials and citizens into a desperate battle to save the metropolis before it's too late.
Having trouble visualizing? Check out Strauss-Schulson’s 2020 pandemic short. 4min of absurdist rat bliss.
The Return of Stanley Atwell
Cast: Nicholas Galitzine (The Idea of You) & Marisa Abela (Back to Black)
Dir: Brian Welsh (Black Mirror episode S1E3 The Entire History of You - trailer)
Story by/EP: Steven Soderbergh
Sales Rep: Protagonist Pictures (The Brutalist)
Synopsis:
Presumed dead for a decade, Stanley Atwell returns from mysterious captivity, upending his sister’s inheritance battle and igniting a power struggle fueled by buried secrets and betrayal.
Bitters End (La Chimera, Perfect Days) has picked up international sales rights for Two Seasons, Two Strangers by director Sho Miyake (All the Long Nights).
Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping
Budget: $150M - $200M
Cast: Jesse Plemons, Mckenna Grace
US Distributer: Lionsgate
Release date: November 20, 2026
Wild that even Lionsgate needs help de-risking the cost of one of its major tentpole franchises but speaks to the times. Lionsgate lost $21.9M on $970M revenue last quarter.
Other big market projects, including one starring Lily James:
Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo
Dir: Takashi Miike (Audition, 13 Assassins)
Cast: Shun Oguri (Godzilla v. Kong), Lily James
Prod Co: Pressman Film (American Psycho, The Crow)
US Distributer/International Sales Rep: Neon
Synopsis:
A gambling-addicted Tokyo cop and an FBI agent search for a missing politician's daughter, while a mysterious killer lurks in the criminal underworld, watching their every move.
Also, Studiocanal is handling French distribution and serving as the international sales rep for Les Misérables starring Titane’s Vincent Lindon. The adaptation is said to be very action-heavy.
And, MK2 (Anatomy of a Fall) is handling international sales for The Revolution According to Kamo from director Kornél Mundruczó (Netflix’s Pieces of a Woman director. Co-Writer: Paweł Pawlikovski (dir: Cold War)
Pretend I’m Not Here
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Sally Hawkins, and Martin Freeman
Dir: Simon Bird (Actor: The Inbetweeners).
International Sales Rep: Cornerstone
US Sales rep: CAA
Synopsis:
An ordinary Dutch couple who hide a Jewish perfume salesman during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. As the arrangement stretches on, the emotional and practical challenges of living in close quarters with a stranger begin to reshape the trio’s dynamic in unexpected ways.
The Rule of Three
Cast: Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho)
Dir/Co-Writer: James Roday Rodriguez (Actor: Psych)
Prod Co: Temple Hill Entertainment (Smile, Twilight)
Sales Rep: Protagonist Pictures
Are Amy and her family plagued by a deadly curse? Every three years, death strikes under mysterious circumstances, horrifically killing family members.
The Marshmallow Experiment
Cast: Steve Buscemi, Johnny Knoxville
Prod co/Finance: Big Picture Cinema Group
North America Sales Rep: UTA
International Sales Rep: Essential Film Group
Synopsis:
For Alex, making it through high school as a socially awkward teen is hard enough. Trying to survive while having an insatiable online porn addiction makes it even harder. Or as it turns out , not hard enough.
Karma
Cast: Marion Cotillard, Denis Ménochet (Inglorious Bastards)
Dir: Guillaume Canet
DP: Benoît Debie (Enter the Void)
Distributer/Sales Rep: Pathé
Genre: psychological thriller.
The Stranger
Dir: François Ozon (Swimming Pool, Young and Beautiful)
Cast: Denis Lavant (Lovers on the Bridge, Holy Moters), Swann Arlaud (Anatomy of a Fall)
Based on Albert Camus’ The Stranger.
International Sales Rep: Gaumont
We couldn’t be more excited for this, not least of which because Lavant is the greatest living actor.
Cast: Rob Lowe, Crispin Glover, Roselyn Sanchez
Prod: Gary Michael Walters (EP: Nightcrawler, Whiplash, Drive)
US Distributor: Bleecker Street
International Sales Rep: HanWay Films (Shame, La Cocina)
Synopsis:
Amidst the 4th of July celebration, a disturbing figure named Tommy Taffy emerges, disguising himself as a human to infiltrate a suburban neighborhood and impose authoritarian rule over an unsuspecting family.
Cast: Sadie Soverall (Saltburn), Havana Rose Liu (Bottoms)
Prod: Jacob Perlin (Swan Song), Robert Walak (EP: Shame)
International Sales Rep: AGC
Domestic Sales Rep: CAA
Dir: Léo Berne
EP/Co-Financier: Film 4
Synopsis:
After her mother's death, 18-year-old Mila discovers she can see an invisible parasite that feeds on human sorrow. She and her friend Dawn must protect her sister Luna from the demon's attack.
Genre: action fantasy.
Dir: Charlie Polinger
Cast: Joel Edgerton
Section: Un Certain Regard
Domestic sales rep: UTA and Cinetic
International Sales rep: AGC International (Hit Man, Late Night with the Devil)
Synopsis:
A socially awkward tween endures the ruthless hierarchy at a water polo camp, his anxiety spiraling into psychological turmoil over the summer.
We don’t know who Edgerton will play, but a maniacal camp counselor could be great.
I got absorbed into Polinger’s SXSW short film Fuck Me, Richard which is a magnetizing long-distance romance which tranforms into a very specific type of horror film (full short). There’s no blood or guts, but I was devastated by the twist.
Cast: Heather Graham
Worldwide Sales rep: Alliance Media Partners (The Endless)
Prod: Steven Schneider (Insidious, Paranormal Activity)
US Distributor: GVN Releasing (Christmas with You)
Caravan
Section: Un Certain Regard
Worldwide sales rep: Alpha Violet (Sujo, The Tribe)
Synopsis:
A devoted single mother dreams of a solo vacation in Italy at her friend's house, but when arrangements collapse, she must bring along her disabled teenage son on what was meant to be her private escape.
Cast: Sandra Hüller, Colman Domingo
Dir/Wri: Goran Stolevski (Venice-queer lion award winner Housekeeping for Beginners)
Prod: Kristina Ceyton (The Babadook, The Nightingale)
Domestic sales rep: UTA
International Sales Rep: Charades, New Europe Film Sales
Synopsis:
A well-intentioned but deeply insecure Manhattan PR exec who does smear campaigns relocates to the Balkans to turn things around at “peace lab” but ends up generating fake news to target political regimes.
Karla launches at the Cannes Market with The Playmaker (Sew Torn) repping international sales. The film follows a young girl who accuses her dad of sexual abuse. We are sutured to her perspective, her toughness, her confident sense of self in the trailer.
Also, the animated feature Dreamers – The Hunt for Shadowclaw has been boarded by Epsilon Film (Sky’s Robin and the Hoods) as worldwide sales rep.
Just as the Cannes Film Festival is heating up with its full line-up released:
https://theindustry.co/p/the-cannes-lineup-2025
Two animated films: Andy Serkis’ Animal Farm (Sales rep: Goodfellas Animation) and Ketchup Entertainment’s Coyote Vs. Acme (sales rep: Kinology).