We are only 48 hours from the official lineup of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival being announced, but it appears that there might not be too many actual surprises. As we approach the announcement, a new report has come out that pretty much guarantees that some of the best filmmakers in the world are locks for the competition.
Variety is reporting that new films from Terrence Malick, Xavier Dolan, Pedro Almodóvar, Bong Joon-ho, and Ken Loach are all expected to have films premiere in-competition at this year’s festival. We’ve talked about Malick’s latest film, “A Hidden Life,” quite extensively in the past, but it seems as if Thursday will be the day that we officially learn when his film will be coming. However, Malick is just the tip of the iceberg.
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After a bit of a shaky release for “The Death and Life of John F. Donovan,” Dolan is hoping to have a return to form with his upcoming film “Matthias & Maxime.” Bong Joon-ho appears poised to debut his next film, “Parasite.” Almodóvar is teaming with Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz for “Pain & Glory,” and Ken Loach has his latest “Sorry We Missed You.”
With those films, it’s become readily apparent that this year’s Cannes will already have a ton more star power in front of and behind the camera than last year’s festival, which many wondered was the beginning of the end of the French event’s dominance.
Other films that are expected to be announced as part of the official competition include Marco Bellocchio’s “Traitor,” Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s “Ahmed,” and director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “Nighthawk.” Films like Ira Sachs’ “Frankie” and Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” are both heavily rumored to be part of the competition but aren’t “locks” like the other films.
As mentioned, the official line-up will be announced on Thursday, April 18.