With the Cannes Film Festival approaching, pundits are beginning to wonder which films will premiere at the prestigious festival. At the moment, only one film has been revealed, the Weinstein Company release "Grace of Monaco, starring Nicole Kidman and Tim Roth, which will open the festival on May 14.
However, the question that many wonder is what else will be shown? This year could bring a number of returning directors and stars. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu could be back with his new film "Birdman." The director has showcased three of his films at the festival and all three have ended up winning awards. "Birdman" stars Michael Keaton, Naomi Watts and Edward Norton and with production having started months ago, the film could be ready for the festival.
David Cronenberg is a familiar face to the event as he has premiered two of his films there in the past. His latest, "Maps of the Stars," has the star wattage that attracts Cannes and it tells the story of two former child stars and their run-ins with drugs, pyromania and a movie star haunted by her dead mother.
Tommy Lee Jones is also a Cannes Veteran. His film "Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" premiered at the festival and even took home Best Actor. His new film, "The Homesman," has a lot of early buzz and a spot in the festival could help the film get early awards attention.
David Michod's follow-up to "Animal Kingdom," "The Rover," can lead him to being one of the few first time Cannes directors. The new film, which is being released by A24, stars Robert Pattinson and has been rumored for the festival for a while. Additionally, the film is finished and is set to be released in the summer. A Cannes slot could get it more attention.
Michel Hazanavicius is also no stranger to Cannes; his film "The Artist" went home with the best Actor statue. The film stars Berenice Bejo who recently won the Best Actress statue at the festival and Annette Bening. The film currently has no distributor, but with a spot in Cannes the movie could easily get picked up.
Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne are Cannes veterans as they have won the Palme D'Or twice. This year, their new film "Two Days, One Night" is one of the most anticpated films of the year as it stars Marion Cotillard and was recently picked up by IFC Films for distribution.
Ryan Gosling's "How to Catch a Monster" has also been rumored for the festival for some time. The film's intriguing premise and cast is reason alone for the film to stand out and it also marks the actor's directorial debut.
Other possibilities include "Serena" starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, Tim Burton's "Big Eyes" starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, and Terrence Malick's "Knights of Cup." Lars Von Trier may be back with his uncut "Nymphomaniac" as well as Woody Allen with his latest film "Magic in the Moonlight."
Controversial film director Abel Ferrera could also bring "Welcome to New York" to the competition while Xavier Dolan could bring his latest film "Mommy" to the slate.