With the 78th Cannes Film Festival just weeks away, the race to secure a coveted spot in the official selection is heating up. A-list directors, including Spike Lee, Wes Anderson, Jim Jarmusch, Kristen Stewart, and Richard Linklater, are all vying for competition slots, setting the stage for what is expected to be a high-profile festival.
Big Names in Contention
While the official lineup remains under wraps, industry insiders suggest that Cannes 2025 will be a major cinematic event, marking what one source called “the first true post-strike Cannes.” Among the most anticipated entries is Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother, starring Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver, and Tom Waits, which has already secured a spot in the competition.
Richard Linklater is also in the mix with Nouvelle Vague, a French-language film exploring the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless and the birth of the French New Wave. Meanwhile, Spike Lee is expected to bring his A24-backed thriller Highest 2 Lowest, a reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, starring Denzel Washington.
Wes Anderson, a Cannes regular, is rumored to return with The Phoenician Scheme, a family drama featuring Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Tom Hanks, and Scarlett Johansson. Kristen Stewart, making her directorial debut, has submitted The Chronology of Water, an adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir, starring Imogen Poots.
Ari Aster’s Eddington, a Western black comedy starring Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix, and Gregg Araki’s erotic thriller I Want Your Sex, starring Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman, are also among the films speculated to be in the running.
International Filmmakers and Surprise Contenders
Beyond Hollywood, Cannes is expected to showcase a strong selection of international films. The Dardenne brothers could return with The Young Mother’s Home, while Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, starring Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård, is another strong contender. Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent, a political thriller starring Wagner Moura, and Julia Ducournau’s highly anticipated Alpha, following her Palme d’Or-winning Titane, may also be part of the lineup.
Russian filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov is expected to return with The Disappearance of Josef Mengele, a chilling adaptation of Olivier Guez’s novel about the fugitive Nazi doctor. Meanwhile, Cannes could welcome Resurrection, a sci-fi thriller from Chinese director Bi Gan, starring Jackson Yee and Shu Qi.
Uncertain but Possible
Some high-profile films remain in the “maybe” category. Luca Guadagnino’s thriller After the Hunt, starring Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield, and Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice have both been rumored but not confirmed. Lynne Ramsay’s Die, My Love, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, is also a possibility.
There is also speculation that Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning could premiere out of competition, potentially aligning with its theatrical release on May 21.
Not Happening This Year
Despite widespread speculation, several highly anticipated films will not be premiering at Cannes. Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia, Paul Thomas Anderson’s untitled project, and Celine Song’s Materialists are confirmed to be skipping the festival. Other films missing from the Croisette include Luc Besson’s Dracula, Paul Greengrass’ The Lost Bus, and Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson.
With final selections yet to be locked in, all eyes are now on Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux as he curates a lineup that will define this year’s festival. If the current buzz is any indication, Cannes 2025 is shaping up to be an event filled with major talent, exciting debuts, and fierce competition. The official announcement is expected in mid-April.