Cannes Lineup Revealed: Ari Aster, Richard Linklater, Scarlett Johansson, Wes Anderson & More

The 78th Cannes Film Festival has announced its lineup, and once again, the South of France will be home to some of the biggest stars and most sought-after directors, including directorial debuts for two great performers and a first-time for the festival itself in its opening film.

Some of the well-known directors heading to the Croisette this year are Wes Anderson, arriving with his caper The Phoenician Scheme, Richard Linklater for his new film Nouvelle Vague, and horror master Ari Aster, making his first trip to Cannes with his new A24 feature Eddington, centered on a standoff between a small-town sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and mayor (Pedro Pascal) sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico.

The fest will open with first-time French filmmaker Amelie Bonin’s Leave One Day, marking the first time a debut has kick-started the historic festival.

Scarlett Johansson will also be in Cannes this year, making her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great, which stars a true great in June Squibb. She’s not alone—British actor Harrison Dickinson’s making his directorial debut with Urchin, while British-Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies arrives with My Father’s Shadow, which stars Slow Horses co-star Sope Dìrísù.

Iranian director Jafar Panahi returns to Cannes with A Simple Accident, and he’s joined by a slew of other excellent directors who have showcased their films at the fest. They include Kelly Reichardt, whose new film, The Mastermind, is an art heist drama starring John Magaro and Josh O’Connor. Norwegian auteur Joachim Trier is back, too, with Sentimental Value, his follow-up to his 2021 critical smash The Worst Person in the World, with Renate Reinsve once again starring. Two-time Palme d’Or winners the Dardenne Brothers are also back with The Young Mother’s Home. 

Newcomers to the fest include Oliver Hermanus, whose film The History of Sound is a WWI gay romantic road trip movie starring Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Tom Cruise and Paramount will be coming to Cannes with Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning. Robert De Niro will receive this year’s honorary Palme d’Or. This year’s jury head is the French legend Juliette Binoche.

Cannes begins on May 13 and runs through May 24. The festival’s website has a full list of its lineup.

Featured image: L-r: Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in “Eddington.” Courtesy A24