Cannes 2026: Hollywood MIA, AI Arrives, Club Kid Breaks the Bank
TL;DR
Cannes 2026 saw Hollywood largely absent as studios balk at big-budget risks amid wary critics, but the festival still delivered buzz: Jordan Firstman’s directorial debut Club Kid sparked a $17 million global rights deal with A24, marking the festival’s first major bidding win. AI was openly embraced as a cost-saving and creative tool, signaling a shift in how films are produced and marketed. Geopolitical tensions cast a somber mood despite the cinema showcase, underscoring a Cannes edition defined by experimentation and industry recalibration rather than star-studded spectacle.
- Cannes 2026 Takeaways: Hollywood Stayed Home, Jordan Firstman Scored Variety
- At Cannes, the Movies Are Divisive and the Arguments Heated The New York Times
- Cannes fashion in pictures: Barbara Palvin debuts baby bump, Simone Ashley stuns in red, Cara Delevingne rocks a shag and more glamorous moments Yahoo
- Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid and John Travolta’s beret: Must-see looks from the Cannes Film Festival so far CNN
- At the Cannes Film Festival, We Saw the Center of Gravity Shifting IndieWire
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