This week, the biggest names in world cinema will converge on the French Riviera for the annual Cannes Film Festival.
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| Image Source - Google | Image by <br><a href= BBC News |
Film lovers will be hoping to see actors like Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Harrison Ford, and Leonardo DiCaprio on the red carpet.
The festival will debut films by Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, and Ken Loach, among many others.
As Johnny Depp makes his first appearance on the big screen following his protracted court fights with his ex-wife Amber Heard, he might even make an appearance.
Which five films are everyone talking about, then?
1. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
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| Image Source - Google | Image by <br><a href= BBC News |
One of the most eagerly awaited films of the festival is Harrison Ford's final performance as the adventurous, whip-wielding archaeologist Indiana Jones.
For the sixth and final time, the 80-year-old action star will be seen wearing his dependable leather jacket and hat in the global premiere of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
He shares the screen with Phoebe Waller-Bridge from Fleabag, who was born in 1983, four years after Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first film in the series.
Fans will be curious to see how the "de-aging" special effects on Ford in the opening scenes turn out, and James Mangold's direction will also be scrutinized.
The first Indiana Jones movie not directed by Steven Spielberg is Dial of Destiny, but he is listed as an executive producer.
"This Indiana Jones movie is fantastic. He told Variety, "I'm incredibly happy about what Jim has done with it.
2. Jeanne du Barry
The future of Johnny Depp's film career seemed to be at risk at the height of his high profile legal fights with his ex-wife Amber Heard.
But his comeback to the big screen as Louis XV in Jeanne du Barry will open the Cannes festival, three years after he was fired from the Fantastic Beasts series.
In the film, which chronicles the tale of the poor seamstress's daughter who rose to become the last official mistress of the French King, Depp speaks French.
Mawenn, a pseudonymous French actress who also wrote and directed the film in French, portrays the title role.
Mawenn is not afraid of controversy herself. She has criticized the #metoo movement and confessed to spitting on a journalist during a chat program last week.
3. Asteroid City
While Wes Anderson parodies have recently taken over social media, the cult director has been working on Asteroid City.
Hollywood heavyweights Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Jeff Goldblum, Margot Robbie, and Steve Carell are among the cast members who Scarlett Johansson leads.
She portrays a 1950s film legend (imagine Bette Davis) in a fictional American desert hamlet where a junior stargazer convention is upended by historic occurrences.
Is the movie science fiction? or a comedy about love? It's hard to get concrete information about the plot, but the trailer gives the impression that it's extremely... Wes Anderson.
This makes its Cannes premiere one of the most sought-after events.
4. The Old Oak
With two coveted Palm d'Or victories at Cannes—for The Wind That Shakes the Barley in 2006 and I, Daniel Blake in 2016—Ken Loach has an impressive track record.
Could he win a third-best film award at 86 years old?
With an inflow of Syrian immigrants, his most recent film, The Old Oak, is about the lone remaining pub in a former mining hamlet in County Durham.
Loach has stated that he wanted to make a picture that both highlighted the challenges of the situation and had a sense of optimism.
Dave Turner, a retired local firefighter, portrays pub owner TJ Ballantyne, and real refugees were also enlisted to participate.
According to Turner, "I genuinely have no idea what I'm doing," he told BBC Look North last year. There is no other way to put it except terrifying. However, the reason I am here is because it is Ken Loach and because the people around him give you the impression that you can succeed.
5. Killers of the Flower Moon
The anticipation for a new Martin Scorsese picture is palpable among movie fans.
The hype mill goes into overdrive when he is reunited with two of his favorite collaborators, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.
The anticipation for Killers of the Flower Moon's Cannes debut is growing thanks to rumors that Leonardo DiCaprio has already referred to it as a "masterpiece" and early Oscars talk on social media.
It portrays the serial killing of Osage Nation members in 1920s Oklahoma and is based on a book by David Grann. The Osage Nation is a wealthy Native American tribe.
The Reign of Terror, as it was known, led to a significant FBI inquiry featuring J Edgar Hoover.
Scorsese has stated that the film is intended to be seen in cinemas, despite its three hours and 26-minute agonizing runtime. "This is a big-screen movie, and that is what we made, as you'll see," he declared.
