Pixar Animation Studio title Elemental has been announced as the last film of the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, running from May 16 to 27.
The film will be presented Out of Competition on May 27, ahead of its release in theaters in the US on June 16 and in France on June 21.
Elemental is the fourth feature film from Pixar Animation Studios to be presented in the Official Selection, after Up, Inside Out and Soul.
Set in the world of Element City, where characters representing the elements of fire, water, earth and air live side by side in harmony, the film revolves around fire element Ember Lumen and water element Wade Ripple, who grow close but can never touch.
Pete Docter, Pixar’s chief creative officer, said this year’s return to Cannes was particularly special for the studio.
“As we all emerge from our pandemic cocoons and come together in story rooms, animation dailies and impromptu brainstorming sessions, it’s a joy and honor to have Pixar back on La Croisette. Directed by the extraordinary storyteller Peter Sohn, Elemental is so funny, full of heart and, frankly, stunning to see. It was created for audiences to experience on the big screen and I love that it’ll make its world premiere at Cannes.”
Adèle Exarchopoulos and Vincent Lacoste are set to voice the key Element City characters of Flam (Ember) and Flack (Wade) in the French version.
The original voice cast includes Leah Lewis (Ember) and Mamoudou Athie (Wade).
“For many years, the Festival de Cannes has welcomed animated films from around the world. Pixar Animation Studios, with Up, directed by Pete Docter, made Cannes history by opening the 62nd edition of the Festival in 2009. It was a wonderful event!,” said Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Frémaux.
“This is another great opportunity, to present the amazing Elemental, for the ‘Last Screening’ of this 76th Festival de Cannes, and to think about our lives in such a powerful way.”
Docter, director Peter Sohn, producer Denise Ream and many actors voicing the characters of the film are expected to attend the red carpet screening in Cannes.
The film joins 51 other features in this year’s Official Selection announced at a press conference in Paris last Thursday.
Frémaux said at the time that another five to six features would be added to the line-up after the parallel sections of Cannes Critics’ Week and Directors’ Fortnight had unveiled their selections.
As previously announced, French actress and director Maïwenn’s period romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp in his first big screen appearance in three years, will open the festival on May 16.
Other highlights of this year’s edition include Martin Scorsese’s latest, Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, and James Mangold’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
