The iconic red carpet is unfurled along the French Riviera, as the 79th Cannes Film Festival opens its 12-day run of global cinematic premieres on Tuesday. The annual gathering, one of the most prestigious events on the international film industry calendar, will conclude on May 25 with the awarding of the Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest honor that carries global acclaim and major awards season momentum.
The festival’s opening night sets a celebratory tone: kicking off proceedings is the French period comedy *The Electric State*, while legendary *Lord of the Rings* director Peter Jackson will accept an honorary Palme d’Or in recognition of his decades-long career in filmmaking. This year, however, one topic has dominated pre-festival buzz as much as the packed lineup of new films: the near-total absence of major Hollywood studio productions.
In previous years, big-budget blockbusters such as *Top Gun: Maverick* and *Elvis* made their world debut on the Croisette, drawing massive crowds and global media attention. But for 2025, no major studio tentpoles are on the official lineup. Industry insiders point to two key factors keeping big studio projects away: the risk of a critical or audience backlash in the high-stakes Cannes environment, and the exorbitant cost of flying A-list talent to the Cote d’Azur for the festival’s signature red carpet and press events. The only nod to big-budget Hollywood franchise fare this year is a special anniversary celebration for the *Fast & Furious* film series.
Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux addressed the gap in his press briefing on the eve of the festival, noting that Hollywood is currently in a period of massive industry upheaval, sparked most recently by Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. “I hope the studio films will come back,” Frémaux told reporters.
Despite the missing studio blockbusters, the festival has not lost its draw for top cinematic talent. A roster of the world’s most acclaimed filmmakers are slated to premiere new works in the official competition, including Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar with *Bitter Christmas*, American filmmaker James Gray’s *Paper Tiger*, South Korean director Na Hong-jin’s *Hope*, Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski’s *Fatherland*, and Japanese Academy Award winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi with *All of a Sudden*.
While Cannes has faded as a go-to global launchpad for major studio releases in recent years, it has cemented its reputation as the most reliable launching pad for Academy Award contenders. Two years ago, Sean Baker’s *Anora* took home the Palme d’Or at Cannes before going on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Last year, multiple Cannes selections, including *Sentimental Value*, *The Secret Agent*, and *It Was Just an Accident*, went on to become major players throughout Hollywood’s awards season.
Leading the charge in the Cannes-to-Oscars pipeline this year is independent distributor Neon, which has backed the past six consecutive Palme d’Or winners — an unprecedented streak in festival history. The distributor is attached to more than a quarter of the 22 films competing for this year’s top prize, putting it in a strong position to extend its winning run.
The nine-member jury tasked with selecting this year’s award winners will hold its official press conference Tuesday, ahead of beginning its sequestered schedule of screenings. Award-winning South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook serves as jury president this year, joined by high-profile panelists including actress Demi Moore, Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao, and actor Stellan Skarsgård, among others.
Adding an extra layer of pop culture excitement to this year’s festival is the ongoing production of HBO’s hit series *The White Lotus*. The show’s fourth season, which is set around a trip to the Cannes festival, has been filming on location along the French Riviera over the past month, and its cast and crew are expected to make appearances throughout the event.
Even without major Hollywood studio films, the festival will not be short on star power. Over the next two weeks, dozens of A-list celebrities are scheduled to appear, including Kristen Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Adam Driver, Javier Bardem, Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Rami Malek, Sebastian Stan, Sandra Hüller, and many more.