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Cannes Film Festival 2026: Which films will be in competition?
The eagerly awaited 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 12th to 23rd, 2026. While we still don’t know the names of the president, jury members, ceremony hosts and stars who will attend the event, here are the latest rumors about the films expected to compete for the Palme d’Or.
By Violaine Schütz.
The year has barely begun, yet the media is already in a frenzy about one of the major cinematic events of the year. Indeed, a lot of rumours are circulating about the official selection for the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, which will take place from May 12th to 23rd, 2026. The identities of the president, the jury members, the masters of ceremony, and the celebrities who will walk the red carpet remain unknown, but several media are already betting on which films will be in the running for the Palme d’Or.
Steven Spielberg’s and David Fincher’s features at Cannes?
According to Variety, the latest features from several major directors could be presented either in competition or out of competition. Among them is Disclosure Day, Steven Spielberg’s alien movie starring Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor. The pitch? “If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people. We are coming close to … Disclosure Day.”
Potentially on the Croisette this year is Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s new project Digger, starring Tom Cruise, and David Fincher‘s The Adventures of Cliff Booth. The film is a sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s already legendary Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, with Brad Pitt and Elizabeth Debicki.
Films starring Isabelle Huppert, Scarlett Johansson, and Zendaya in competition?
Among the anticipated contenders is Ruben Östlund’s latest feature, The Entertainment System Is Down, starring Keanu Reeves and Kirsten Dunst. The story unfolds aboard a long-haul flight during which passengers are informed that they won’t have access to any screens or entertainment, thus leaving them alone with their thoughts.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Winding Refn (Pusher, Drive, The Neon Demon) may return to the Croisette to present Her Private Hell, featuring Charles Melton, Sophie Thatcher, Kristine Froseth, and Havana Rose Liu. Another major potential highlight of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival? Denis Villeneuve‘s latest installment of Dune, with Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, may have its world premiere at the festival.
We might also see 1949 by Paweł Pawlikowski, starring Sandra Hüller, and Paper Tiger by James Gray with Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller. But also, Histoires parallèles by Asghar Farhadi, featuring Isabelle Huppert, Catherine Deneuve, and Virginie Efira.
Quentin Dupieux and Florian Zeller in the Cannes selection?
Regarding French films, L’Inconnue by Arthur Harari, starring Léa Seydoux and Niels Schneider, could be in the running for the Palme d’Or. The film is an adaptation of the graphic novel Le cas David Zimmerman, in which a thirty-something Parisian wakes up in the body of a stranger.
This year’s edition may also include Quentin Dupieux’s intriguing, ambitious new project, Full Phil, with Woody Harrelson and Kristen Stewart. The story is likely to be as offbeat as his previous works. “In Paris, Philip Doom, a wealthy American industrialist, attempts to reconnect with his daughter Madeleine. Unfortunately, French cuisine, a 1950s horror movie, and an intrusive hotel employee disrupt the smooth running of their stay…”
Penélope Cruz and Léa Seydoux on the Croisette?
As for Florian Zeller, he might present Bunker, starring Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, and Patrick Schwarzenegger. The pitch? “An architect accepts a controversial project to build a survivalist bunker for a tech billionaire. This decision leads his wife to question their 17-year marriage.”
Initially anticipated for the previous edition of the Cannes Film Festival, Sacrifice by Romain Gavras may ultimately premiere this year. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Evans, Salma Hayek, and Charli xcx, the feature takes place during a charity gala where guests are threatened by a violent radical group pursuing a prophecy.
The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 12th to 23rd, 2026.
