Cannes Market Preview: Spielberg, Fincher, Iñárritu Lead 2026 Wish List

The Cannes Film Market opens on May 12, and Screen International and Variety are already tracking the most coveted packages being readied for launch in the south of France. The 2026 lineup, at least on paper, is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in years.

Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day — a science-fiction drama about a UFO disclosure event starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo, and Wyatt Russell — is near the top of every festival director’s wish list. Universal Pictures has set a June 12 theatrical release date, placing it within the traditional Cannes launch window and making a Croisette premiere eminently plausible.

Also in play: Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Digger, which stars Tom Cruise and represents the Mexican auteur’s long-anticipated return to feature filmmaking; David Fincher’s The Adventures of Cliff Booth, starring Brad Pitt; and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, with Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya reprising their roles for what promises to be a Christmas blockbuster.

The French-language film world is equally well-represented in the early speculation. Iranian auteur Asghar Farhadi has a new Paris-set ensemble drama, Parallel Tales, featuring Isabelle Huppert, Catherine Deneuve, Virginie Efira, and Vincent Cassel — a combination that practically guarantees a Cannes courtship given Farhadi’s deep relationship with the festival.

For the international market, among the packages being tracked is Bitcoin, a thriller from director Doug Liman starring Gal Gadot, Isla Fisher, Casey Affleck, and Pete Davidson, built around one man’s quest to prove he invented the cryptocurrency. The film began production in February, with location photography enhanced using AI tools. International sales are being handled by boutique outfit 193.

Also generating significant interest is a sequel to Jasmila Žbanić’s Oscar-nominated Quo Vadis, Aida?, titled The Missing Part, which has already begun filming in Bosnia and Herzegovina with lead actress Jasna Đuričić returning.

Festival director Thierry Frémaux and his team are expected to announce the official selection in late April. Competition for the choicest films is particularly fierce this year, with Venice’s Alberto Barbera also known to be pursuing several of the same titles. The annual spring pilgrimage to Los Angeles by both festival chiefs has already commenced.