Pedro Almodóvar’s Cannes-Bound Short ‘Strange Way Of Life’ Starring Ethan Hawke & Pedro Pascal Acquired By Sony Pictures Classics

Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar rode into the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday with his short film Strange Way Of Life, pushing boundaries for LGBT representation in the Western genre.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Nine more minutes of footage would take Pedro Almodóvar’s film “Strange Way of Life” from a live action short frontrunner to a best picture contender. To be eligible for the Academy Awards’ best picture category, a film must have a minimum 40-minute runtime. Almodóvar’s movie runs 31 minutes. With those extra nine minutes, we could also highlight the worthiness of actors Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal and the project’s artisan categories. But for his second English language endeavor, coming three years after “The Human Voice” with Tilda Swinton, the Spanish auteur’s sensibilities are never lacking. His new Spanish Western stands proudly next to some of his most audacious movies such as “Talk to Her” and “Volver.”

The great Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar is a rabid fan of the western genre but until now had never made one, and also has only dabbled in directing any english language film with the exception of the 2020 short, The Human Voice that starred Tilda Swinton. His latest movie is also a short, just 31 minutes, but he finally got to do his western in english, and it is a nice homage to the form and those great directors who made it that way, one it is safe to say could only have come from this master of cinema, and a true cineaste himself. Almodovar brought the finished product to its World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival today and, if flattered by the attention, the ghosts of John Ford, Howard Hawks, John Sturges, Anthony Mann, Raoul Walsh , and Sam Peckinpah may be surprised at the twist in Strange Way Of Life that this 73 year old fanboy has given it.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director The 2023 Cannes Film Festival is jam-packed with buzzy world premieres, from Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” to Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City.” Todd Haynes is also back to unveil “May December,” featuring the A-list pairing of Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, while Disney is bringing Harrison Ford to the Croisette for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” New films from Pedro Almodovar, Jessica Hautner, Jonathan Glazer, Catherine Corsini, Hirokazu Kore-eda and more are also set to make their debuts at Cannes this year. Cannes is often seen as a launching pad for Oscar season. Warner Bros. in 2022 kicked off its lengthy awards run for Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” on the French Riviera, with the film going on to land eight Academy Award nominations, including best picture. Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness” also picked up Oscar nods for best picture, director and original screenplay. Two international film nominees, “Close” and “EO,” launched at last year’s festival, while “Aftersun” best actor nominee Paul Mescal got his awards start in the Directors Fortnight sidebar. All of this is to say the industry will be closely watching the buzz on all of this year’s world premieres.

Mother-son date! Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke’s 21-year-old son, Levon Thurman-Hawke, looked all grown up while walking the red carpet with his mom at the Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Co-productions are increasingly the norm in Chile where state funds remain scant in a market of a mere 19.5 million inhabitants. Its new president’s campaign pledge last year to more than double the state’s contribution to the arts is not quite a reality, with a 16% increase noted so far. On the bright side, there has been an uptick in private funding, with some 50% of a film’s budget covered by private investors. To date, the audiovisual sector has seen a 31.5% increase in state funding this year compared to 2022. Chilean filmmakers are also exploring new genres, straying from traditional dramas. More often than not — as in Maite Alberdi’s Sundance win for 2023’s “The Eternal Memory” — Chilean cinema has triumphed at one major festival or awards event after another.

EXCLUSIVE: On the eve of his acting return at the Cannes Film Festival, Johnny Depp has set a buzzy cast for Modi, his first directorial effort in 25 years.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor “Elite” breakout star Manu Ríos will be at the Cannes Film Festival to celebrate the premiere of “Strange Way of Life,” Pedro Almodóvar’s romantic Western short headlined by Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke and co-starring Ríos. At the Met Gala, Ríos shared with Variety that most of his scenes are with both leading men. But during their time off-camera, “I spent a lot of time with Pedro. He’s the best. It was pretty hot because we shot in the desert in the south of Spain, so it was a lot of time without doing anything and just talking.” He continued, “He’s a really funny guy. It was so much fun.” “Strange Way of Life” marks Almodóvar’s second primarily English-language project, after his short “The Human Voice” in 2020.

A night to remember! Despite the Met Gala’s no phone policy, several celebs were sneak enough to give fans a glimpse inside the biggest fashion event of the year.

In Hollywood history, no Oscar-winning couple has earned greater admiration than Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. The actors who were married for 50 years before Newman’s death in 2008 are the subject of the six-part CNN Films/HBO Max documentary series The Last Movie Stars, directed by Ethan Hawke, himself a four-time Oscar nominee. 

Sony Pictures Classics have acquired worldwide rights (excluding the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, and Latin America) to Pedro Almodóvar’s short film, “Strange Way of Life,” starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal, the company announced on Thursday. This follows the news that the short will premiere as an official selection at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.Here is the trailer for the short:It is Almodóvar’s second English-language project after “The Human Voice,” which was also distributed by Sony Pictures Classics.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights to Pedro Almodóvar’s short Western “Strange Way of Life,” excluding the territories of the U.K., France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Latin America. Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal star in the short that will premiere in official selection at the Cannes Film Festival. The short is now in pre-production and Sony Pictures Classics will release this fall. It’s Almodóvar’s second English-language project after “The Human Voice,” which was also distributed by Sony Pictures Classics. “Strange Way of Life” is produced by Almodóvar’s El Deseo and presented by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. It also stars Pedro Casablanc, Manu Ríos, George Steane, José Condessa, Jason Fernández and Sara Sálamo. It’s produced by Agustín Almodóvar, with Esther García as executive producer and Bárbara Peiró, Diego Pajuelo, and Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello as associate producers.

A new trailer as been released for “Strange Way of Life”, the latest from Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar.

Black Mirror” is back for a sixth season. The Netflix series is scheduled to premiere this June, showcasing a talented cast made up of Salma Hayek, Aaron Paul, Ben Barnes, and more.Pedro Pascal, Salma Hayek, and more honored in Time 100Salma Hayek shares stunning bikini photos and her love of the oceanSalma Hayek and Valentina Paloma share photos of Kenya tripA post shared by Salma Hayek Pinault (@salmahayek)The teaser shows some of what fans of the series have been anticipating, including a futuristic dystopia, various prestigious actors on the edge of manic breakdowns, and the looming threat of technology.

Pedro Almódovar is one of the greatest living filmmakers, and there aren’t many people out there who would disagree. And though his films have captivated audiences all over the world throughout his career, he has only barely dipped his toes into English-language filmmaking, debuting the short film, “The Human Voice,” in 2020.

Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke star in the debut trailer for director Pedro Almodóvar’s queer Western Strange Way of Life.

Sophia Scorziello editor Pedro Almodóvar’s queer Western short film “Strange Way of Life” has released its first trailer. The short, which stars Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke, is somewhat akin to a “Brokeback Mountain” revamp, or moreso, a chance for Almodóvar to do finally do it his way. Almost two decades ago, the Spanish filmmaker was offered the opportunity to direct the Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger film, but gave up the offer in fear he wouldn’t have the creative freedom to make the movie how he wanted it. “This is a queer western in the sense that there are two men, and they love each other, and they behave in that situation in an opposite way,” said Almodóvar on an episode of “Dua Lipa: At Your Service.” “What I can tell you about the film is that it has a lot of the elements of the Western. It has the gunslinger. It has the ranch. It has the sheriff. But what it has that most Westerns don’t have is the kind of dialogue that I don’t think a Western film has ever captured between two men. And now I think I’m telling you too much.”

For the second year in a row, CinemaCon is in full swing. And, unlike last year when there were hopes the post-pandemic box office would turn around, the last six months have seen a slew of big hits and increased optimism that the movies are truly “back.” One studio that has had a somewhat slow start to 2023 is Sony Pictures, and the Culver City staple kicked off the convention touting a number of its upcoming tentpoles including “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Kraven the Hunter,” “Dumb Money” and, in partnership with Apple Original Films, Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon.” READ MORE: ‘Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse’ Trailer: Miles Morales wants to change his destiny in the new ‘Spider-Verse’ sequel Sony also brought some in-person star power to the event with Jennifer Lawrence (“No Hard Feelings”); David Harbour and Orlando Bloom (“Gran Turismo”); Issa Rae, Haliee Steinfeld and Shameik Moore (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”); Glenn Powell and Sydney Sweeny (“Anyone But You”); and Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington (“Equalizer 3”).

Brent Lang Executive Editor Focus Features and Working Title will release Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s “Drive-Away Dolls.” The comedy caper will open in theaters on Sept. 22, 2023. The film follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals. It features an impressive cast that includes Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp and Matt Damon.

French fashion house Saint Laurent is moving into the world of cinema with an official production banner headed by house creative director Anthony Vaccarello.