Absence of big US films heralds renewed focus on international cinema that underpins festival’s reputation
For decades, Cannes has occupied a unique place in the cultural imagination – not just as the world’s most prestigious film festival, but as Hollywood’s most glamorous overseas outpost.
From Grace Kelly on the Croisette, Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman at the Pulp Fiction premiere, Julia Roberts walking barefoot up the red carpet, to Tom Cruise shutting down the Riviera with fighter jets overhead, Hollywood has made its mark on Cannes.
But the 2026 festival, which opens on Tuesday and runs until 23 May, tells a very different story. When the lineup was announced last month, one aspect immediately stood out: the near-total absence of major Hollywood studio films.
“There is no big American movie this year,” said Scott Roxborough, the European bureau chief of the Hollywood Reporter and a festival veteran. “Usually there’s at least one major tent-pole title premiering at Cannes or using the festival to launch its European release.”
