Ethan Hunt might soon be grace the storied Croisette. Although no official decision has yet been reached, "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning" is seriously contemplating a grand debut at the Cannes Film Festival, potentially infusing the event with Tom Cruise's unmistakable star wattage. Paramount, which has remained tight-lipped on the matter, has scheduled the film's theatrical release for May 21, coinciding with the festival's second week. This movie is set to mark Cruise's swansong as the iconic IMF spy.
Paramount boasts a storied history with Cannes, as does Cruise, whose last visit in 2022 for "Top Gun: Maverick" was a resounding success. That film went on to rake in a staggering $1.45 billion at the global box office and garnered six Oscar nominations, ultimately winning the Academy Award for Best Sound.
Other prominent American filmmakers rumored to bring their latest masterpieces to the glittering festival include Spike Lee with his highly anticipated "Highest 2 Lowest," starring Denzel Washington, from A24 and AppleTV+; Wes Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme," featuring an ensemble cast as dazzling as always (Anderson's hallmark), with Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Riz Ahmed, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Richard Ayoade, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, and Benedict Cumberbatch, distributed by Focus and Universal Pictures; Richard Linklater's "Nouvelle Vague," a behind-the-scenes look at the production of Jean-Luc Godard's cult classic "Breathless," produced by Paris-based ARP; and Jim Jarmusch's "Father Mother Sister Brother," starring Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett, Mayim Bialik, Tom Waits, and Charlotte Rampling, presented by Mubi.
However, sources indicate that Apple's Brad Pitt-starring "F1" movie is unlikely to make its world premiere at Cannes.
Curated by the long-serving chief Thierry Fremaux, the Cannes Film Festival has been thriving, marking consecutive landmark editions. The latest festival premiered three of the awards season's most buzzed-about films, including potential Best Picture contenders: Sean Baker's Palme d'Or-winning "Anora," Jacques Audiard's "Emilia Perez," and Coralie Fargeat's "The Substance." However, more commercial ventures don't always reap the benefits of a Cannes launch. While "Top Gun" received a significant boost from its festival debut, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" stumbled ahead of its 2023 premiere due to a lukewarm reception.
