Werner Herzog‘s “Bucking Fastard” won’t be premiering at Cannes regardless of hypothesis that it could be showing on the movie pageant.
“‘Bucking Fastard’ was invited as an official selection at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival which the filmmakers declined,” a spokesperson for the movie mentioned in an announcement.
The explanation that “Bucking Fastard” gained’t be taking part in at that the Palais is that it wasn’t provided a Cannes competitors slot. Herzog had hoped that stars Rooney and Kate Mara, who’re mentioned to offer searing performances as twin sisters, can be eligible for awards, in line with a supply near the filmmakers. Cannes initially included “Bucking Fastard” of their first announcement about its lineup, which added to the confusion.
Cannes organizers declined to remark. Nevertheless, Herzog’s stance seems to be much like that of Jim Jarmusch, who turned down the 2025 version of the pageant after Cannes didn’t give his most up-to-date movie “Father Mother Sister Brother” a contest slot. It went on to premiere at Venice, the place it gained the Golden Lion, the pageant’s high prize, earlier than happening to gross $8.2 million globally.
“I submitted it to Cannes, and we were told, ‘It’s not selected for competition. We might put it in a different section,’” Jarmusch told IndieWire final yr. “To which I responded, ‘I haven’t made a film in five years. I’ve been in Cannes many times. That’s not appropriate to me,’” he mentioned. “Competition’s very important to me in Cannes, not for the competition, but for the profile of the release of my film, so I can start getting the investors paid back, and I can make another film. It’s not about the awards.”
“Bucking Fastard” follows “Jean and Joan Holbrooke (the Mara sisters), who in search of an imaginary land where true love is possible, start digging a tunnel through a mountain range,” in line with an official plot description. Orlando Bloom and Domhnall Gleeson are a part of the ensemble. HanWay and Gersh are dealing with gross sales of the movie.
In an interview with Selection final yr, Kate Mara described engaged on “Bucking Fastard” as “one of the greatest experiences ever” and “like a dream scenario.”
“Werner Herzog, there’s nobody like him on the planet,” she added. “So to be able to have that experience with him was magical. But then to have it with my sister, it’s sort of what dreams are made of.”
