Maybe Cannes should have fought to have those Netflix films, after all?
As we approach the start of the Cannes Film Festival (May 8, for those that keep track of these things), the talk around the event is a little more reserved than in recent years. Unlike previous festivals, there’s not much quote-unquote star power on display. Sure, there’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story” making its debut, and a couple big-name directors have films showing, including Spike Lee and Lars von Trier. However, overall, Cannes doesn’t seem to have the same buzz in 2018 that its hard historically.
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According to Variety, it’s not for their lack of trying, however. The media outlet is reporting that the people at Cannes approached several high profile productions about premiering at the event, but they declined the invitation.
“Suspiria,” from “Call Me By Your Name” helmer Luca Guadagnino and starring Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, and Chloë Grace Moretz, was a film that many thought would be at Cannes this year, but Variety reports that they turned down the offer. Another film specifically named in the report is none other than Bradley Cooper’s “A Star is Born” remake. “A Star is Born” is Cooper’s directorial debut and stars Lady Gaga. Those two names alone are enough to raise the star power quite a bit for the festival. However, they too turned down Cannes’ offer.
The question you may be wondering is, “Why?”
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Why would Bradley Cooper and Luca Guadagnino turn down the opportunity to, in effect, headline one of the most prestigious events in the film industry? Well, Variety says it’s all about one thing – awards consideration.
Apparently, filmmakers are looking at examples like “Foxcatcher” and “Carol” as films that debuted at Cannes and were thought to be major awards contenders but ended up peaking too early. Since Cannes falls in Spring, many believe that it’s too soon to debut your Oscar-caliber film. Now, producers and filmmakers look at the Fall festivals, which is closer to awards season, like Toronto as more advantageous.
While this is far from the end of the Cannes Film Festival, it’s just something to keep an eye on for the years to come. It’s just a shame that we will have to wait a little while longer to see some of the more high-profile films we had hoped would premiere in the next couple weeks. And right about now, Cannes is probably wishing they had Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Dakota Johnson, and Tilda Swinton to feature on the red carpet.
