Cannes Investors Circle Reveals Lineup, Including New Ruben Östlund and Lorcan Finnegan Films

Naman Ramachandran Sandhya Suri’s fiction feature debut “Santosh,” which bows in the Cannes Film Festival‘s Un Certain Regard strand, has unveiled its first clip. In the film, a government scheme sees newly widowed Santosh inherit her slain husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of northern India.

Michaela Zee A24 is closing an eight-figure deal to acquire the U.S. rights to Ruben Östlund’s “The Entertainment System Is Down,” Variety has confirmed.

Annika Pham Back in Cannes a year after presiding over the main Cannes jury, the two-time Palme d’or winner Ruben Öslund unveiled more details about his next mega-project, English-language “The Entertainment is Down,” which he said should be ready for Cannes 2026. The press conference, attended by the hottest talent and producers from the Nordic region and beyond, was hosted by Film i Väst, one of Europe’s largest regional film funds.

EXCLUSIVE: Goodfellas has acquired world sales rights for Japanese filmmaker Chie Hayakawa’s Tokyo-set drama Renoir ahead of the project’s presentation in the Investors Circle event at the Cannes Marché du Film on Sunday.

Marta Balaga Irish director Lorcan Finnegan – already behind “Vivarium” – returns to Cannes with “The Surfer.” Starring Nicolas Cage, it follows a man who just wants to surf on a beach next to his old childhood home in Australia. But he is not a local anymore and he will have to fight for it – or lose his mind. Nic’s character actually references “surfing as a metaphor for life.” Why did you want to explore – and maybe also mock – this philosophy? I met Thomas Martin, who wrote the film, years ago.

“It’s f–ing hard to make a good airplane movie,” Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund emphasized multiple times this morning in Cannes as he spoke to international press about his plans for The Entertainment System Is Down, the latest feature he has set to direct starring a buzzy cast led by Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl. 

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Succession” star Nicholas Braun is in talks to star in Ruben Östlund’s “The Entertainment System Is Down.” Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl are already on board the buzzy satire. “The Entertainment System Is Down” is one of the sexiest packages being shopped at the Cannes Film Market, where the Coproduction Office has launched international sales.

Naman Ramachandran Glasgow-based Momentum Films, led by producer Rakasree Basu (“Iqbal and the Jewel of India”), has officially launched at the Cannes Film Festival‘s market. The company is focusing on developing original stories by converging the Scottish and the South Asian cinematic landscapes across feature films, high end television and narrative documentaries. Momentum has an under-production film “Adrift,” which was shot in Tamil Nadu, southern India, and is currently in post-production.

ABC News’ David Muir and Linsey Davis will moderate the second presidential debate on Sept. 10.

After two Palme d’Or wins, it feels like Ruben Östlund can make a movie about whatever the hell he wants with whatever actors he chooses. And for his new film, “The Entertainment System is Down,” it appears he’s doing just that.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent New films by Julio Medem, Alejandro Amenábar, Alberto Rodríguez, Isaki Lacuesta, Jonas Trueba and Oliver Laxe join a brace of smart thrillers in a rich Cannes lineup from Spain. “8,” (Julio Medem) Medem (“The Red Squirrel,” “Julia and Sex”) returns towhat he does best: a love story transcending time and space and a poetic critique of recent history, according to sales agent Latido Films. “Fariña’s” Javier Rey and “La Mesías” Ana Rujus star as the lovers.

EXCLUSIVE: Meryl Streep says that a meeting is “imminent” where she’ll hear about the proposals for her to return for a third helping of Mamma Mia!

Keanu Reeves (John Wick) is now confirmed for Ruben Östlund’s anticipated upcoming film The Entertainment System Is Down and we can reveal that he’ll be joined in the cast by Kirsten Dunst (Civil War) and Daniel Brühl (Rush).

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large At the NBCUniversal upfronts, they saved the best for almost last: “Late Night with Seth Meyers” host Seth Meyers hit the Radio City Music Hall stage to throw out a few quips before introducing NBCUniversal ad sales chief Mark Marshall. Meyers came out swinging: “Hello and welcome to the NBC upfronts. If you’re looking for the Fox News upfronts, that’s happening outside a lower Manhattan courtroom,” he said to chuckles.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. “I’m really busy.” This is the first thing Busy Philipps tells me as we sit down to chat. When I tell her I’m impressed with her jam-packed schedule, she immediately agrees: “I’m impressed as well.” Philipps and I are sitting in a bare-bones Chelsea loft on an early afternoon in March.

Fontaines D.C. played the first show to launch their new album ‘Romance’ at an intimate Brooklyn show last night (Wednesday May 8) – giving two unreleased songs their live debut.

A flight has been diverted to Manchester Airport due to a 'medical emergency' - more than 3,000 miles from its destination. Condor flight CFG2016 left Frankfurt, in Germany, at 11.45am and was due to land at John F. Kennedy airport in New York later today (May 8).

Naman Ramachandran British boxing champion and “Love Island” runner-up Tommy Fury will make his acting debut with Oceana Studios‘ “The Debt Inherited.” The film also marks the directorial debut of Oceana CEO Danny Sawaf. Dubai-based distribution and production outfit Oceana, whose credits include “Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend,” starring Gabriel Byrne and Mira Sorvino, “Monstrous,” starring Christina Ricci, and “Terrifier 2,” will launch sales on “The Debt Inherited” at the Cannes Film Market.

More than 8,600 people have signed a new online petition calling for Scottish tax rates to be scrapped and restored to the same levels as those administered by the UK Government. There are now six tax bands for people in Scotland, compared to just three in other parts of the UK.

Thania Garcia Billie Eilish will host two album listening events ahead of her third studio album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” slated for release May 17. The free events presented by American Express, and produced by Live Nation, will take place on May 15 in New York City’s Barclays Center in association YouTube Music and on May 16 in Los Angeles’ Kia Forum in association Snapchat. Eilish’s forthcoming album will be available on all digital platforms, and in a continued effort to minimize waste and combat climate change; across all physical formats in limited variants on the same day, with the same track-listing and using 100% recyclable materials.