Actor Lorraine Kelly has praised Brie Larson for her response to a question about Johnny Depp's new film at the Cannes Film Festival. Larson, who appeared on a panel at the event as a member of the festival's jury, was asked by a journalist for her opinion of Jeanne du Barry, the movie starring Depp that opened the festival. When Larson expressed bemusement about the line of questioning, the journalist referenced her support for Time's Up. Larson, who has criticised sexism in Hollywood, responded by saying: "You'll see, I guess, if I see it, and I don't know how I'll feel about it if I do".
Artistic director at Cannes, Thierry Fremaux, has stated that a film’s director will be held responsible for any racist, sexist or homophobic behaviour by their cast and crew. The statement comes amid increasing criticism of the festival for including controversial films, including The House That Jack Built, which shows violence against women, and a biopic of Roman Polanski, a figure who has long been accused of sexual assault. Talking about society’s changing attitude to films, Fremaux stated this is “an era of conservatism”. This year’s Cannes festival ends today.
French director Catherine Corsini has defended filming scenes of a suggestive nature involving child actors for her upcoming Cannes-worthy film Homecoming. Corsini has sparked a storm after failing to obtain approval from government censors for a scene involving two underage actors, during which she insists that the youths were fully protected. She has hit back at rumours that she “forced” the young stars to simulate oral sex, saying she cut the offending scene to “calm everyone down”, but giving no reason for how the scene ended up in the script in the first place.
Johnny Depp has made his comeback at the Cannes Film Festival, showing his French-language movie, Jeanne du Barry. Despite accusations of domestic violence against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, the 59-year-old actor had a seven-minute standing ovation following the premiere. Depp has denied the allegations made against him, but has not appeared in any movies since being dropped from The Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them franchises three years ago. However, his return has raised the question as to whether Cannes has a problem of tolerance towards men accused of inappropriate behaviour.
Actress Dame Helen Mirren debuted a shock of bright blue hair at the Cannes Film Festival, arriving on the red carpet at the event's opening day on Tuesday. The 77-year-old, who has previously dyed her hair pink, paired her latest hair colour with a floor-length periwinkle gown highlighted with folds around the waistline and an elaborate bustle at the back. The actress carried with her a black fan with the #WorthIt slogan, a nod to her partnership with cosmetics company L'Oreal Paris.
Director Steve McQueen has released his latest film, Occupied City, at the Cannes Film Festival. The four-hour documentary documents life in Amsterdam - how it stood during WWII and how it stands today. McQueen uses voiceover to describe how locations, from coffee shops to red light districts, were involved in the resistance effort, or, occupied by the Nazis. The film has a steady tone focusing on the atrocities experienced in Europe, with few lyrical interludes, including a mesmerising tram ride. The ending is full of hope and promise as it features the bar mitzvah of a young Dutch boy who is black and Jewish - a representation of four identities that were previously at odds with one another. The film is an adaptation of historian Bianca Stigter's Atlas of an Occupied City. The film is seen as an important reminder of the atrocities committed on the continent within living memory, at a time when far-right apologists attempting to whitewash fascism from European history.
Actor Johnny Depp has claimed that "the majority" of what is written about him is fictional, during a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival. Depp said he felt "boycotted" by the Hollywood film industry after he was asked to resign from a film over allegations from his ex-wife Amber Heard that he was abusive towards her. Depp won a defamation case against Heard, while she won a countersuit in which she claimed one of Depp’s lawyers had defamed her. Depp was recently asked to leave the Harry Potter spin-off franchise Fantastic Beasts, following a libel case against The Sun, the UK paper that called him a "wife beater".
Actor Johnny Depp has denied making a comeback with the release of the film Jeanne du Barry, reflecting he "didn't go anywhere" but had "stopped being called". The movie, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, sees Depp play King Louis XV, with the French-speaking role won after the director hugged and kissed him. Depp won a $10m damages award from a US court last year in his closely watched defamation trial against Amber Heard, his ex-wife.
Johnny Depp has said he has “no further need” for Hollywood and does not think about the industry. In a rare public appearance at the Cannes Film Festival, Depp faced reporters following the premier of “Jeanne du Barry,” his first film role since a jury largely backed him in his legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard. Part of Depp’s argument was that he lost work because of her allegations that he had abused her. Heard was subsequently ordered to pay Depp damages. Depp has been notably dropped previously from the “Harry Potter” franchise. Cannes has faced criticism for giving him such a platform.
Hollywood actor Johnny Depp has stated he has no further need for the US film industry. Speaking after the premiere of his latest picture, he told reporters that he did not feel boycotted by Hollywood, adding he "didn't have much further need" for it. Depp had previously been asked to step down from the Fantastic Beasts film franchise following domestic abuse allegations, which a jury later denied.
The Cannes Film Festival's screening of Pedro Almodovar's "Strange Way of Life" was cancelled after fans were left in the rain for over an hour. Starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal as lovers, the 31-minute Western was praised by critics for its old-fashioned storytelling and there is speculation whether it may be expanded into a full-length feature. The movie is due to be released later this year by Sony Pictures Classics.
Following his appearance at Cannes, Johnny Depp told journalists he doesn’t have “much further need for Hollywood”. Depp is presently promoting his latest film, Jeanne du Barry, directed by and starring Maiwenn. It is his first project since winning a legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard in 2020, which led to her being ordered to pay the actor $10m in damages. Depp had argued that Heard’s allegations against him led to him losing work. Among his roles to disappear was that of Grindelwald in Warner Bros’ Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Leaders from the Group of 7 (G7) countries are to meet and discuss the global economy this week at the annual G7 summit in Japan. However, the US’ nearing debt default of two weeks may be cause for concern. President Joe Biden hopes to promote an optimistic tone after the White House sent two special aids to negotiate with Republicans to raise the debt. Upcoming discussions are also set to focus on Ukraine and China. European allies are pressing the US administration to give American-made F-16 jets to Ukraine after gaining territory around the city of Bakhmut. Nevertheless, the Biden administration is worried about escalating the situation and the potential costs and time issues that would arise. Discussions on China will focus on handling the threat of its economic, technological and military rise. The summit will also include talks on how to stabilise the global economy and limit devaluations of currencies.
Chinese actress Gong Li praised Michelle Yeoh's recent successes at the Oscars and Golden Globes, saying that it was particularly encouraging for Asian actors. Gong, who herself is one of China's best actors, also remarked that the film industry has not been as vibrant as it was before the pandemic and that everyone needs to go out and see the world again. Gong was on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival this week. China dropped its zero-COVID policy in late 2021, which had previously kept its borders closed to most international travel.
Hirokazu Kore-eda, the Japanese director behind "Shoplifters" and "The Truth," will return to Cannes with his latest film "Monster," featuring a score by Ryuichi Sakamoto in one of his last compositions. The film follows a single mother and her troubled son, and explores the misunderstandings between them and a teacher that come about following a classroom incident. Critics praised the film's structure and setting, and the jury at the festival will this year be led by Swedish director and last year's jury president Ruben Ostlund.
Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal posed for photographers at the Cannes Film Festival promoting their film 'Strange Way of Life', a new Pedro Almodóvar Western. Johnny Depp also made an appearance, saying that he had 'no further need for Hollywood', whilst promoting his film 'Jeanne du Barry', which he stars in opposite Maïwenn. Director Steve McQueen premiered his four-hour documentary 'Occupied City', which he collaborated on with his wife. And the film 'Monster', from Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, was showcased with appearances from Hollywood stars like Hawke, Gemma Chan, Sara Sampaio, and Viola Davis.
The Western film "Rust" is being put up for sale at the Cannes Film Festival seeking international buyers, a year and a half after the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the filming. Last month, filming resumed in Montana to finish the independently financed production that was shut down. The film still lacks North American distribution. Meanwhile, actor Alec Baldwin has booked another film circulating the Cannes market called "Kent State," a dramatization of the 1970 killing of four students by the National Guard protesting the Vietnam War. Baldwin will play Kent State’s then president.
Independent Western movie "Rust" is being put back on the Cannes market for international buyers. Nearly two years after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on-set, the controversial film has resumed shooting in Montana after a self-imposed hiatus. Hutchins's widower, Matthew, is serving as executive producer as part of a settlement over a wrongful death lawsuit. The film has yet to secure distribution in North America. Criminal charges against Alec Baldwin over the incident were dropped in April, but involuntary manslaughter charges against weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed remain.
French director Catherine Corsini appeared on the red carpet at Cannes for the premiere of “Homecoming”, a drama featuring a nanny travelling to Corsica with her teenage daughters after leaving 15 years earlier under tragic circumstances. The film made headlines earlier this year when French funding organisation, the CNC, withdrew €680,000 ($749,000) of subsidies over the non-disclosure of a sex scene involving a minor. The CNC is responsible for France's promotion of cinema. Corsini told media that the scene was cut. The French curator also said that it would bankroll about 55 films directed by women in 2021.
American actress and political activist Jane Fonda has accused French director René Clément of asking to sleep with her during filming of his 1964 film Joy House. Appearing on US TV show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Fonda said Clément claimed he needed to know what an orgasm was like as part of the film. Clément, who died in 1996, was a respected filmmaker who won five prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. Fonda also spoke on the show about skinny dipping with Michael Jackson.
