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‘Shame on Hollywood’: Cannes-Winning Writer Rails at Stance on Gaza

(L-R) Host Didier Allouch, Jury Members Diego Cespedes, Ruth Negga, Stellan Skarsgard, Demi Moore, Jury President Park Chan-wook, Chloe Zhao, Isaach de Bankole, Laura Wandel and Paul Laverty attend the press conference for Feature Films Jury during the 79th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, 12 May 2026. (EPA)
(L-R) Host Didier Allouch, Jury Members Diego Cespedes, Ruth Negga, Stellan Skarsgard, Demi Moore, Jury President Park Chan-wook, Chloe Zhao, Isaach de Bankole, Laura Wandel and Paul Laverty attend the press conference for Feature Films Jury during the 79th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, 12 May 2026. (EPA)
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‘Shame on Hollywood’: Cannes-Winning Writer Rails at Stance on Gaza

(L-R) Host Didier Allouch, Jury Members Diego Cespedes, Ruth Negga, Stellan Skarsgard, Demi Moore, Jury President Park Chan-wook, Chloe Zhao, Isaach de Bankole, Laura Wandel and Paul Laverty attend the press conference for Feature Films Jury during the 79th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, 12 May 2026. (EPA)
(L-R) Host Didier Allouch, Jury Members Diego Cespedes, Ruth Negga, Stellan Skarsgard, Demi Moore, Jury President Park Chan-wook, Chloe Zhao, Isaach de Bankole, Laura Wandel and Paul Laverty attend the press conference for Feature Films Jury during the 79th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, 12 May 2026. (EPA)

Hollywood should be ashamed of the way it has treated stars like Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo for opposing Israel's war in Gaza, a member of the Cannes Film Festival jury said Tuesday, with big studios conspicuously absent this year.

Paul Laverty, who wrote two films that won Cannes' top prize, was cheered as he lambasted the studios and praised the French festival for using an image of Sarandon in "Thelma and Louise" for its poster this year.

"Isn't it fascinating to see Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo blacklisted because of their views in opposing the murder of women and children in Gaza? Shame on Hollywood, people who do that," the Scottish-born writer, who was arrested last year at a pro-Palestine protest, added.

"They're the best of us," said Laverty, who won best screenplay at Cannes for Ken Loach's "I, Daniel Blake" and "The Wind that Shakes the Barley".

"I just hope we don't get bombed now," he joked.

The leftwinger made an impassioned plea for filmmakers not to shy away from politics "when madmen lead the blind", quoting Shakespeare's "King Lear".

Laverty did not mention US leader Donald Trump, but his presidency and the war in Gaza have hung heavy over film festivals over the last few years.

South Korea director Park Chan-wook, who heads the jury awarding the Palme d'Or, the top prize at Cannes, also defended the place of politics in film.

"Art and politics are not concepts that are in conflict with each other. As long as they are artistically expressed, they are valuable," said the maker of "Oldboy" and "The Handmaiden".

With Meta, the owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, signing a multi-year sponsorship deal with Cannes, Laverty also warned about "the concentration of power" by Big Tech.

"We are beginning to realize that we should not let these tech bros billionaires, mostly right-wing libertarians, dictate how we live our lives," he added, with artificial intelligence another hot topic at the festival.

Hollywood star Demi Moore, who is also on the jury, said she was also skeptical of AI's place in the industry, though not against it.

"There is nothing to fear because one can never replace what true art comes from, because it comes from the soul," she told reporters.

"That, they can never recreate."

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Entertainment

‘Fast & Furious’ TV Series in the Works for Peacock

US actor Vin Diesel at the Universal Studios backlot in Universal City, California, on May 20, 2023. (AFP)
US actor Vin Diesel at the Universal Studios backlot in Universal City, California, on May 20, 2023. (AFP)
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‘Fast & Furious’ TV Series in the Works for Peacock

US actor Vin Diesel at the Universal Studios backlot in Universal City, California, on May 20, 2023. (AFP)
US actor Vin Diesel at the Universal Studios backlot in Universal City, California, on May 20, 2023. (AFP)

A television series based on the blockbuster "Fast & Furious" movie franchise is being developed for the Peacock streaming service, NBCUniversal said on Monday. Vin Diesel, who plays Dominic Toretto in the films, announced that the series was coming to the small screen at a presentation to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall.

At the event, Diesel said four TV shows were in the works. An NBCUniversal press release ‌distributed later ‌in the day listed only one "Fast & Furious" show ‌in ⁠development.

The actor said ⁠he was initially hesitant to commit to sequels for "Fast & Furious," fearing that continuing the story about a group of street racers might prevent the original film from ever being considered a classic.

That concern has since been put to rest: this Wednesday, the Cannes Film Festival will mark the high-speed franchise’s 25th anniversary ⁠with a midnight screening, honoring it as ‌a classic.

Diesel will attend the ‌Cannes screening alongside several of his co-stars from the films.

Since the first "Fast & ‌Furious" movie in 2001, the 11 films in the series ‌have brought in more than $7 billion at global box offices.

The celebration of the franchise extends well beyond the screen. A new "Fast & Furious" roller coaster is set to open at Universal Studios Hollywood this summer, ‌with another attraction planned for Universal’s Orlando theme parks.

"For the last decade, we realized the ⁠fans want ⁠more," Diesel said, noting that longtime viewers are eager to see the continuation of the franchise’s legacy characters and storylines.

Diesel praised Donna Langley, chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios and chief content officer, who oversees film and television programming.

"I had to wait until it was right," he said.

"It became right when Donna Langley started to oversee it all. That’s when I knew the integrity of the characters, the international appeal, and what makes us all feel like family would be protected in the TV space," the 58-year-old actor said.

The final "Fast & Furious" film is scheduled to debut on March 17, 2028.

Entertainment

A Cannes Film Festival Light on Hollywood but Not Lacking in Star Power Kicks off in France

Cannes Film Festival General Delegate Thierry Frémaux attends a press conference on the eve of the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 11, 2026. (Reuters)
Cannes Film Festival General Delegate Thierry Frémaux attends a press conference on the eve of the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 11, 2026. (Reuters)
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A Cannes Film Festival Light on Hollywood but Not Lacking in Star Power Kicks off in France

Cannes Film Festival General Delegate Thierry Frémaux attends a press conference on the eve of the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 11, 2026. (Reuters)
Cannes Film Festival General Delegate Thierry Frémaux attends a press conference on the eve of the opening ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 11, 2026. (Reuters)

The red carpet has been rolled out at the 79th Cannes Film Festival in the South of France.

The French Riviera festival beginning Tuesday will include 12 days of nonstop world premieres before culminating May 23 with the presentation of the Palme d’Or, the festival's top honor and one of the film industry's most prestigious awards.

The festivities kick off with the opening-night film, “The Electric Kiss,” a French period-comedy, and the awarding of an honorary Palme d’Or to the “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson.

What isn’t at Cannes has been as buzzed about as much as what is. Hollywood is largely absent this year.

While blockbusters like “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Elvis” have touched down at previous incarnations, studio films this year have been either scared away by the possibility of a rocky reception or by the high cost of flying in A-listers to the Cote d’Azur. The closest thing in Cannes' slate is an anniversary celebration for “Fast & Furious.”

Speaking to members of the press Monday, Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux said Hollywood “is reshaping” in the midst of Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

“I hope the studio films will come back,” Frémaux said.

Cannes has become better known for its lengthy standing ovations than its boos. This year, a long list of big-name filmmakers will have center stage.

Among the filmmakers set to unveil new movies are Pedro Almodóvar (“Bitter Christmas”), James Gray (“Paper Tiger”), Na Hong-jin (“Hope”), Pawel Pawlikowski (“Fatherland”) and Ryusuke Hamaguchi (“All of a Sudden”).

If Cannes has waned as a global launchpad for studio releases, it has grown as a breeding ground for Oscar contenders.

Two years ago, Sean Baker’s “Anora” won the Palme in Cannes before winning best picture. Last year, Cannes selections like “Sentimental Value,” “The Secret Agent” and “It Was Just an Accident” went on to play prominent roles in awards season.

More often than not, the specialty distributor Neon has been at the forefront of the Cannes-to-Oscars pipeline. Neon has backed the past six Palme d’Or winners, an unprecedented streak that it may be poised to extend. Neon is attached to more than a quarter of the 22 films in competition for the Palme d’Or.

On Tuesday, the jury deciding that award and others will hold a news conference before beginning their sequestered movie watching. South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is serving as president of the nine-member panel, along with Demi Moore, Chloé Zhao, Stellan Skarsgård and others.

How much any of this will serve as backdrop for “The White Lotus” remains to be seen. The fourth season of Mike White’s acclaimed HBO series is based around a trip to Cannes. Last month, the show began shooting on the French Riviera.

While Cannes may be light on big Hollywood movies, it isn't lacking in stars. Set to appear over the next two weeks are Kristen Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Adam Driver, Javier Bardem, Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Rami Malek, Sebastian Stan, Sandra Hüller and many others.

Entertainment

Is Risk-Averse Hollywood Running Scared of Cannes Critics?

A person walks past the Cannes film festival signage prior to the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP)
A person walks past the Cannes film festival signage prior to the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP)
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Is Risk-Averse Hollywood Running Scared of Cannes Critics?

A person walks past the Cannes film festival signage prior to the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP)
A person walks past the Cannes film festival signage prior to the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP)

Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Top Gun have all premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the last decade. But in 2026, not a single Hollywood blockbuster is programmed there, raising questions about why US studios are ghosting the event.

The world's biggest film festival, which kicks off on Tuesday, has long relied on Hollywood to provide a dose of mass-market entertainment alongside the sometimes edgy independent cinema that forms the core of its program.

Mega-stars such as Tom Cruise or Harrison Ford help draw attention to the same red carpets walked by auteur directors and the casts of obscure art-house productions -- all in the name of supporting the fragile cinema industry.

Although Cannes director Thierry Fremaux made platforming American productions a priority when he took over 25 years ago, he was left having to explain their absence when he unveiled the line-up of films in April.

"Outside of studio filmmaking, independent cinema -- cinema made somewhere other than Los Angeles -- continues to exist," Fremaux said.

There are two independent American films in the main competition: "Paper Tiger" by James Gray, starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson.

But Hollywood big beasts Universal, Disney, Warner, Sony and Paramount, as well as streaming giants Netflix and Amazon, have decided to pass.

It was a similar story at the Berlin film festival in February where director Tricia Tuttle was left with a blockbuster-free schedule.

- 'Nervousness' -

Tuttle blamed low risk-appetite and commercial pressures -- rather than another sign of America's estrangement from Europe under US President Donald Trump.

"There's a nervousness in a very difficult marketplace: nervousness about reviews coming out long before release and about controlling the way films of that scale are launched because there's so much at stake," she told The Hollywood Reporter in January.

She cited the dreadful critical reception for "Joker: Folie a Deux" which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2024 before bombing at the box office.

"We've seen more reticence since," Tuttle told the publication.

In a more confident, profitable environment, or when Hollywood is churning out films more regularly, a commercial dud might be easily absorbed.

Nowadays, it spells major trouble for budget-conscious executives.

- Tough critics -

J. Sperling Reich, a Los Angeles-based film critic and Cannes veteran, said Hollywood studios make fewer Cannes-compatible films. They prefer to control their launch schedules, rather than having them dictated by a festival.

"They're essentially flying in talent, trying to figure out a publicity narrative... two, three, sometimes four months early (before launch), and then they expose that film to the world's toughest critics," he told AFP.

"If it doesn't fly in Cannes, it's going to be tough to recover from that," he explained.

The most recent blockbusters, Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" and the "The Devil Wears Prada 2", organized their own tightly controlled promotional events, boosted by influencers and social media.

Reich cited Christopher Nolan's upcoming ancient Greek action movie "Odyssey" and Steven Spielberg's science-fiction thriller "Disclosure Day" as possible Cannes films.

"But the reality is those films don't need Cannes," he said.

- Coming together -

Others are skeptical that 2026 signals a permanent rupture between Hollywood and European festivals.

Indeed, if the bad reviews for the "Joker: Folie a Deux" in Venice in 2024 are to blame, then why was the Italian festival so packed with big-budget American films just last September?

Eric Marti, who heads the box office specialist Comscore in France, said studios have always had a transactional approach to Cannes.

"It's a tremendous showcase, as it's one of the most watched events, but they also have a very well-oiled promotional machine. If the Cannes dates and their launches line up, the two come together," he said.

Hollywood was not "totally absent", he added.

The festival has added a "Fast and Furious" special screening in the first days to mark the 25th year of the Universal-owned franchise, with the original stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster flying in.

Hollywood may simply be sitting out Cannes in 2026, only to rev back into action next year.