The Cannes red carpet is usually packed with American A-listers (Antonin THUILLIER)
(Antonin THUILLIER/AFP/AFP)
Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Top Gun have all premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the last decade. But in 2026, not a single Hollywood blockbuster is programmed there, raising questions about why US studios are ghosting the event.
The world's biggest film festival, which kicks off on Tuesday, has long relied on Hollywood to provide a dose of mass-market entertainment alongside the sometimes edgy independent cinema that forms the core of its programme.
Mega-stars such as Tom Cruise or Harrison Ford help draw attention to the same red carpets walked by auteur directors and the casts of obscure art-house productions -- all in the name of supporting the fragile cinema industry.
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Although Cannes director Thierry Fremaux made platforming American productions a priority when he took over 25 years ago, he was left having to explain their absence when he unveiled the line-up of films in April.
"Outside of studio filmmaking, independent cinema -- cinema made somewhere other than Los Angeles -- continues to exist," Fremaux said.
There are two independent American films in the main competition: "Paper Tiger" by James Gray, starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, as well as "The Man I Love" by Ira Sachs featuring Rami Malek.
But Hollywood big beasts Universal, Disney, Warner, Sony and Paramount, as well as streaming giants Netflix and Amazon, have decided to pass.
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It was a similar story at the Berlin film festival in February where director Tricia Tuttle was left with a blockbuster-free schedule.
- 'Nervousness' -
Tuttle blamed low risk-appetite and commercial pressures -- rather than another sign of America's estrangement from Europe under US President Donald Trump.
"There's a nervousness in a very difficult marketplace: nervousness about reviews coming out long before release and about controlling the way films of that scale are launched because there's so much at stake," she told The Hollywood Reporter in January.
She cited the dreadful critical reception for "Joker: Folie a Deux" which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2024 before bombing at the box office.
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"We've seen more reticence since," Tuttle told the publication.
In a more confident, profitable environment, or when Hollywood is churning out films more regularly, a commercial dud might be easily absorbed.
Nowadays, it spells major trouble for budget-conscious executives.
- Tough critics -
J. Sperling Reich, a Los Angeles-based film critic and Cannes veteran, said Hollywood studios make fewer Cannes-compatible films. They prefer to control their launch schedules, rather than having them dictated by a festival.
"They're essentially flying in talent, trying to figure out a publicity narrative... two, three, sometimes four months early (before launch), and then they expose that film to the world's toughest critics," he told AFP.
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"If it doesn't fly in Cannes, it's going to be tough to recover from that," he explained.
The most recent blockbusters, Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" and the "The Devil Wears Prada 2", organised their own tightly controlled promotional events, boosted by influencers and social media.
Reich cited Christopher Nolan's upcoming ancient Greek action movie "Odyssey" and Steven Spielberg's science-fiction thriller "Disclosure Day" as possible Cannes films.
"But the reality is those films don't need Cannes," he said.
- Coming together -
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Others are sceptical that 2026 signals a permanent rupture between Hollywood and European festivals.
Indeed, if the bad reviews for the "Joker: Folie a Deux" in Venice in 2024 are to blame, then why was the Italian festival so packed with big-budget American films just last September?
Eric Marti, who heads the box office specialist Comscore in France, said studios have always had a transactional approach to Cannes.
"It's a tremendous showcase, as it's one of the most watched events, but they also have a very well-oiled promotional machine. If the Cannes dates and their launches line up, the two come together," he said.
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Hollywood was not "totally absent", he added.
The festival has added a "Fast and Furious" special screening in the first days to mark the 25th year of the Universal-owned franchise, with the original stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster flying in.
Hollywood may simply be sitting out Cannes in 2026, only to rev back into action next year.
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The 2026 Cannes Film Festival begins tomorrow: Here's what to expect, including special screenings of 'The Fast and the Furious' and 'The Devils'
The 79th Cannes Film Festival runs from May 12 to 23.
The 78th Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals in May 2025.
(Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images))
We’re headed back to the Croisette! The 79th Cannes Film Festival returns from May 12 to 23, bringing together a slew of filmmakers — both renowned and on the rise — to the French Riviera for 11 days of high-profile photocalls and red carpet screenings of the year’s most anticipated films.
Among the films in contention for the festival’s top honor — best feature film, aka the Palme d’Or — are Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Sheep in the Box and Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord. The festival will also celebrate Barbra Streisand and Lord of the Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson as honorary Palme d’Or recipients.
From red carpet appearances to special anniversary screenings and this year’s programming schedule, here’s what to know about the 2026 Cannes Film Festival as it officially kicks off.
Expect some glitzy, glamorous red carpet looks
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky attend the Highest 2 Lowest premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
(Stephane Cardinale - Corbis via Getty Images)
It wouldn’t be the Cannes Film Festival without some showstopping sartorial moments across all of the photocalls and red carpet premieres. More than showcasing a series of highly acclaimed and anticipated films hailing from numerous countries, the festival is also recognized as a high-fashion spectacle for celebrities. When it comes to fashion, glamour, grandeur and rule-breaking are common at the prestigious festival.
Celebrating 25 years of ‘The Fast and the Furious’
Vin Diesel in The Fast and the Furious.
(Universal/Everett Collection)
It’s been nearly 25 years since the first Fast & Furious film debuted in theaters — and the film is getting the red carpet treatment at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. On Wednesday, there will be a midnight screening of the beloved street racing film at the Grand Lumière Theater of Palais des Festivals to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The Fast and the Furious first revved into theaters on June 22, 2001. This isn’t the first film of the franchise to be screened at Cannes — 2021’s F9 had a special screening on the beach ahead of the film’s wider release in French cinemas.
TheFast and the Furious franchise stars Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez, and producer Neal H. Moritz will attend the screening. Meadow Walker, the daughter of the film’s late star Paul Walker, will also be in attendance in her father’s honor.
A banned cult classic returns
Oliver Reed in The Devils.
(Everett Collection)
Ken Russell’s 1971 film The Devils will play at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave, the movie is recognized as a blasphemous adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s 1952 novel The Devils of Loudun. At the time, due to its overt sexual and religious imagery, the widely banned film had to be heavily modified in order to play in any theaters. Now, the film is being restored in 4K with Russell’s original director’s cut intact.
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The Devils, for those unfamiliar, is a controversial dramatization detailing the downfall of Father Urbain Grandier (Reed), a 17th-century Roman Catholic priest in Loudun, France, who is accused of witchcraft by Sister Jeanne (Redgrave), a sexually repressed nun. Sister Jeanne asserts that the priest has bewitched the women, leading them to commit blasphemous, sexually explicit acts.
The restoration and release is courtesy of Warner Bros. Clockwork, a newly launched specialty label run by Christian Parkes, former chief marketing officer of indie production company Neon.
‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ to play at Cannes 20 years after record-setting standing ovation
Ariadna Gil, Sergi Lopez, Guillermo del Toro, Maribel Verdu and Ivana Baquero attend the Pan's Labyrinth premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006.
(Benainous/Catarina/Legrand via Getty Images)
Calling all Pan’s Labyrinth fans: The Guillermo del Toro adaptation will be the 2026 Cannes Film Festival’s preopening screening tomorrow at the Debussy Theater. The fantasy film is returning to Cannes two decades after it earned the longest standing ovation — 22 minutes! — in the festival’s history. Del Toro is set to attend.
In preparation for the screening, Variety reported that the Oscar-winning filmmaker supervised every stage of the film’s restoration from its original 35mm negative.
A glance at the schedule: Films in competition, premiering at Cannes and more
Opening with Pierre Salvadori’s The Electric Kiss and closing with the Palme d’Or ceremony featuring acclaimed South Korean director Park Chan-wook as jury president, the 79th Cannes Film Festival features a highly anticipated lineup of films.
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Included among the films in competition are Pedro Almodóvar’s Amarga Navidad, Fukada Koji’s Nagi Notes and Ira Sachs’s The Man I Love. Those premiering include: Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s Kokurojo, John Travolta’s Propeller One-Way Night Coach and Tiago Guedes’s Aquí will premiere at Cannes.
Another section of the festival, Un Certain Regard — which is French for “A Certain Glance” — features a competitive selection of films, including Jordan Firstman’s Club Kid, Katharina Rivilis’s I’ll Be Gone in June and Rakan Mayasi’s Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep. The official selection of films that’ll be screening but won’t be in competition includes Andy Garcia’s Diamond, Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell and Pierre Salvadori’s La Vénus Électrique.
The full selection of films being screened at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival can be found here.
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2026-27 Awards Season Calendar: Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More
Tom Tapp and Erik Pedersen
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UPDATED with latest: With the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences setting its dates for the 2027 and 2028 Oscars (the latter the ceremony’s 100th anniversary), the rest of the awards docket for those two years is falling into place.
After the Oscars announcement, SAG-AFTRA’s Actor Awards, The Producers Guild, the Film Independent Spirit Awards and more have marked their spots on the calendar for the next two years.
The 23 Best Cannes Dresses of All TimeCollage by Sarah Olivieri
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When people complain that red carpets have lost their pizzazz, you can be nearly certain they’re not talking about Cannes. The annual film festival’s parade of dresses is notoriously the most glamorous of the season. Idyllically located on the French Riviera, with enough space to accommodate swanning around in billowing gowns, Cannes recalls a bygone era of glitz and glamour.
The festival’s carpet also has a strict set of unspoken rules: No shorts. High heels only. Short skirts not preferred. And most recently, no nudity or voluminous trains. Some of the most iconic looks in Cannes history have broken the code though, like Madonna stripping down to a Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra in 1991, or Kristen Stewart taking off her Christian Louboutin stilettos to walk the carpet barefoot in 2018. But others—such as Princess Diana’s icy-blue Catherine Walker gown in 1987, or Hunter Schafer’s liquefied silk Armani dress from 2024—perfectly encapsulate what people envision when they think of unadulterated elegance.
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The 23 best looks, according to Harper’s Bazaar’s editors, run the gamut from risk-taking to perfectly poised. But what they all have in common is an unapologetic air of opulence. See every single one below.
1) Jane Birkin, 1974
Photo credit: GIribaldi - Getty Images
I love Jane Birkin's 1970s-does-the-1920s tiered, sequined dress for Cannes in 1974. The ribbon sash, the long necklace, and the transparent tights make it so her. And, of course, it wouldn't be a Birkin ensemble without her basket—this time wrapped with a silk scarf at the handle. —Camille Freestone, senior digital fashion writer
2) Pamela Anderson, 1995
Photo credit: Eric Robert
Pam Anderson in a chic black leather corset and black pants was such a moment at Cannes in the early ’90s. I love the silliness and rebelliousness of it all: her getting off a Barb Wire–branded sailboat and standing on a dock doing full S&M, bombshell fashion camp in the French Riviera. Parfaite! —Brooke Bobb, fashion news director
3) Yseult in Dior, 2024
Photo credit: Mike Marsland - Getty Images
When Yseult attended the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival, she completely stole the show with a recreation of Dior’s iconic “New Look” silhouette from 1947. This wink to fashion history was particularly special here at Bazaar, given that the “New Look” term was coined by former editor in chief Carmel Snow, and Yseult totally killed it. As she later said in an interview: “I went through Dior’s archives, and for this first collaboration, it was important to me to wear the house’s most iconic cut. It turns out my stylist was doing his research, and that was the look he had in mind for me. We instantly knew this was the look for Cannes.” They were both right. –Joel Calfee, assistant editor
4) Sharon Stone in Valentino, 1995
Photo credit: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis
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For the premiere of Isaac Mizrahi’s documentary Unzipped, Sharon Stone wore a silver Valentino skirt that was buttoned only once, revealing a pair of hand-beaded hot pants underneath. Stone set a new precedent, proving that Cannes looks don’t have to be entirely serious to ooze the glamour the red carpet is famous for. —CF
5) Kate Moss in Jean Dessès, 1998
Photo credit: Steve Granitz
Vintage fashion queen Kate Moss looked amazing in a black feathered 1950s Jean Dessès dress she wore to Cannes in 1998—long before wearing archival dresses on the red carpet was popular. —Nicole Fritton, executive fashion director
6) Madonna in Jean Paul Gaultier, 1991
Photo credit: Dave Hogan
When Madonna went to Cannes in 1991 to promote Madonna: Truth or Dare, which documented the controversial Blond Ambition tour, she re-created her Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra look set against all the black tuxedos. For this version, she wore a voluminous pink taffeta jacket by Gaultier, a white satin cone bra, high-waisted knickers, and garter belt. —CF
7) Princess Diana in Catherine Walker, 1987
Photo credit: Tim Graham
Her Royal Highness Diana’s 1987 ice-blue draped custom Catherine Walker gown was inspired by the one worn by Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief—an homage from one fashionably glamorous princess to another. —Miguel Enamorado, accessories director
8) Parker Posey, 2015
Photo credit: Anthony Harvey
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I’ve always been a Parker Posey superfan—she brings that kind of “What’s she going to do next?” energy to everything she touches, and this Cannes look is no exception. I still remember when these photos came out, and I’m just as charmed today by how fully committed she is to the look—from the sequins to the turban to the shades to the posing. She is a constant delight! —Leah Chernikoff, executive editor
9) Bella Hadid in Hushidar Mortezaie, 2024
Photo credit: Arnold Jerocki - Getty Images
Pretty and purposeful, Bella Hadid's 2024 dress made up of red keffiyehs was a beautiful display of her heritage—and came at a time when the world needed to see more bold displays of Palestinian pride. Easily one of fashion's most memorable political messages in recent history. It's also just plain fab. —Zizi Strater, social media manager
10) Natalie Portman in Dior, 2023
Photo credit: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis
In 2023, Natalie Portman referenced the famous Junon dress originally debuted in Christian Dior’s Fall/Winter 1949–50 runway collection. Her recreation featured an ivory strapless bodice, a skirt made up of petal-like tiers, and flecks of ocean-blue sequins and beads embroidered throughout. —CF
11) Bella Hadid in Schiaparelli, 2021
Photo credit: Samir Hussein
Bella is the modern-day queen of Cannes. My favorite look of hers is this Schiaparelli with the gold jewelry piece across the bust that she wore with the asymmetric updo. It’s fantasy and hot and really directional for Cannes. —Lynette Nylander, executive digital director
12) Hunter Schafer in Armani Privé, 2024
Photo credit: Gisela Schober - Getty Images
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Hunter Schafer is truly in a league of her own when it comes to red carpet dressing. When she and her stylist Dara get together, they’re pretty unstoppable. It should come as no surprise that Schafer’s Cannes red-carpet debut was a memorable one. For the premiere of Kinds of Kindness, the actor wore a steel blue design from the Armani Privé Spring 2011 collection, which was composed of silk organza that looked like liquefied metal. It was a remarkable fashion sight to behold. –JC
13) Catherine Deneuve in Yves Saint Laurent, 1966
Photo credit: Keystone-France
A muse to many—including designer Yves Saint Laurent—Catherine Deneuve may as well have written the handbook on how to wear a classic wardrobe staple but make it glamorous. She looked so elegant in her sparkling short-sleeved YSL dress on the 1966 carpet. —Jaclyn Alexandra Cohen, senior fashion and accessories editor
14) Gemma Chan in Oscar de la Renta, 2021
Photo credit: Daniele Venturelli
I was absolutely gobsmacked when I saw Gemma Chan in this custom Oscar de la Renta dress at Cannes in 2021. It just does such cool things to the idea of the red carpet “naked” dress. I love the interplay of the gold flowers and the cutout parts, especially the giant bloom by her neck, and it fits her like a dream. —Izzy Grinspan, digital director
15) Meg Ryan, 1994
Photo credit: Eric Robert - Getty Images
This to me is the epitome of ’90s cool: a satin baby tee-dress worn with chunky black clogs. Meg Ryan always had the best short tousled cuts of the decade. I would wear this today. —Laia Garcia-Furtado, deputy culture director
16) Alex Consani in Schiaparelli, 2025
Photo credit: Karwai Tang - Getty Images
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It is nearly impossible for Alex Consani to not look fab—but she outdid herself with this 2025 red carpet moment. Wearing an all-black custom Schiaparelli set, this was quite the way to make a Cannes debut.—ZS
17) Tilda Swinton in Alaïa, 2022
Photo credit: Gareth Cattermole - Getty Images
It's hard to make red carpet dresses feel personal, but Tilda Swinton always manages to deliver a look that feels so her. I'm obsessed with this gown version of a crispy white Alaïa tuxedo shirt. —CF
18) Gwyneth Paltrow in Chanel, 2008
Photo credit: Pascal Le Segretain - Getty Images
Gwyneth Paltrow can do no wrong in my book, and her flawless red carpet appearances speak for themselves. I would love to see her bring back this Chanel gown from the resort 2009 collection that she wore to the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. The midnight blue satin, black trim, and plunging neckline tempered with a black bow made the perfect storm of fashion-forward glam. The slender silhouette balanced out coquettish silk ribbons tied along her shoulders. And the choice to forego a predictable pair of evening sandals for Roger Vivier platforms? Genius. There’s something a little Y2K about the floating hemline with the sky-high heel, but the millennial in me is here for it. —Jennifer Jenkins, assistant accessories editor
19) Faye Dunaway, 1976
Photo credit: Getty Images
I watched Chinatown the other day and have since been in a Faye Dunaway style rabbit hole. She does '70s glamour in such a cool, distinctive way. I love this relaxed skirt suit she wore to Cannes in 1976. The jacket in particular is perfectly nonchalant, especially with that easy tied belt. Extra points for the lacy camisole and ladylike heels. —CF
20) Chloë Sevigny in Chanel, 2018
Photo credit: Mike Marsland - Getty Images
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Selecting a favorite Chloë Sevigny Cannes moment is difficult, but her 2018 look for the screening of Everybody Knows (Todos Lo Saben) is hard to beat. Pulled from Karl Lagerfeld’s Fall 2016 couture collection for Chanel, the gown oozed effortless It girl glamour—that perfect balance of classic femininity and rockstar edge. —Sophie Wang, weekend editor
21) Björk in Alexandre Matthieu, 2000
Photo credit: Foc Kan - Getty Images
Early aughts fashion will always make me think of asymmetric lines, and the very electroclash color combination of pink and black. This is a perfect look down to the neon green accessories and Björk's hair. —LGF
22) Charlize Theron in Dior, 2015
Photo credit: Daniele Venturelli
I've always loved how simple this Dior couture gown seems at first glance, but when taking a closer look, you can see how much detail is incorporated. Between the curved neckline, the squared-off seam running across the bust, and the exaggerated draping pouring down the back, this dress is pure elegance and a match made in heaven with Charlize Theron at the Cannes red carpet.—Erin Turner, assistant fashion editor
23) Margaret Qualley in Chanel, 2025
Photo credit: Gisela Schober - Getty Images
I love everything about this look — the baby soft chiffon, the black bow, the camellia, and the neckline — it’s a Chanel dream come true. As an ambassador of the house, Margaret Qualley has worn enough Chanel to fill a few closets, but this haute couture gown she wore to the 2025 Cannes Film Festival is a standout. Inspired by a similar version from the house’s 1990 haute couture collection, it was blissfully nostalgic and timeless.—JJ
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