At a week from the announcement of the official selection of the next Cannes Film Festival, here is an overview of the international films that are expected to be on the Croisette in 2025.
“Defining the cinema of 2026”: this is the challenge Thierry Frémaux has set for the next edition of the Cannes Film Festival, from May 12 to 23. Half of the selection is already set, he revealed to Variety a week ago. Two American blockbusters are already out of the running: “Digger” by Alejandro González Iñárritu, starring Tom Cruise, and Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of “The Odyssey.” The films are not yet ready for release (expected in September and July 2026, respectively).
Uncertainty surrounds Kirill Serebrennikov’s next project, “Après,” filmed in French with Ludivine Sagnier, Louis Garrel, and Vincent Macaigne, as well as Joel Coen’s “Jack of Spades” and James Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” featuring Adam Driver and Miles Teller chasing the American dream. Albert Serra’s first English-language film, “Out of This World,” and Paweł Pawlikowski’s historical epic “1949” may not be ready in time, just like Lukas Dhont’s “Coward,” which seems to still be in postproduction.
Focusing on some specific films in detail, Pedro Almodóvar’s “Amarga Navidad” is set to explore the intertwined stories of three characters, offering a new delve into creation’s torments, seven years after “Pain and Glory.”
In James Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” we will follow two brothers in pursuit of the American dream, complicating things when they get mixed up with the Russian mafia. Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller, and Adam Driver are part of the cast.
David Robert Mitchell’s long-awaited film, “La Fin d’Oak Street,” promises a comeback with a mysterious blockbuster somewhere between M. Night Shyamalan and Steven Spielberg. Plus, there will be dinosaurs.
Na Hong-jin debuts his new film, “Hope,” a decade after the phenomenal “The Strangers,” with Michael Fassbender, Jung Ho-Yeon, and Alicia Vikander.
“1949” by Paweł Pawlikowski embarks on a German road trip during the Cold War era, depicting Sandra Hüller’s journey with her father. August Diehl will also star.
Stay tuned for more updates on these and other international films expected to premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
