Pirates of the Caribbean 4 to feature at Cannes

Woody Allen and wife Soon Yi at Cannes in 2005 [copyright: Genton]

One of the films up for the Palm d’Or Prize is Sleeping Beauty, by the Australian novelist Julia Leigh. The dark reworking of the classic fairytale stars Emily Browning (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events; The Uninvited) and Michael Dorman (Daybreakers; Triangle) and marks Leigh’s directorial debut. In addition, s screen adaptation of her novel, The Hunter, has been selected to feature as part of the festival’s ‘Un certain regard’.

Other nominees for the main prize, in what is a strong list, include the highly anticipated Terrance Malik movie, The Tree of Life, starring Brad Pitt (Seven; Fight Club) and Sean Penn (Milk; Mystic River) and Paolo Sorrentino’s This must be the place, which also features Hollywood star Penn.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the celebrated Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s (Volver – To Return; Hable con ella – Talk to her) first film in two years, La piel que habito – The skin I live in, has made the final cut. Antonio Banderas (Desperado; The mask of Zorro) leads, in his first Spanish language film for almost 18 years.

Headlining films that will be shown out of competition include The Beaver from actress-turned-director Jodie Foster (Silence of the Lambs; Panic Room). She directs as well as stars in the film, alongside Mel Gibson (Braveheart; Signs). The big-budget fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise will also be shown at the festival, with Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands; Sweeney Todd) returning as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Woody Allen’s latest, Midnight in Paris, which includes a cameo role by the French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, will open the festival on the 11th May.

TD