Paper Tiger heads to Cannes

James Gray’s “Paper Tiger” is headed into the Cannes competition, and Neon has bought the film for North America. (variety.com) Variety reported the acquisition on April 22, and Cannes confirmed the film the same day in a new batch of 16 additions to the Official Selection for the festival’s 79th edition. (variety.com) (festival-cannes.com) The film is written and directed by Gray and stars Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller. Trade reports describe it as a crime drama about two brothers whose pursuit of the American Dream pulls them into a Russian mafia scheme that threatens their family. (deadline.com) (variety.com) Cannes had left “Paper Tiger” off its first lineup announcement on April 9, even as festival chief Thierry Frémaux said more titles were still expected. The April 22 additions closed that gap and placed Gray back in the Palme d’Or race before the May festival dates. (festival-cannes.com) (deadline.com) The Cannes slot extends Gray’s long run on the Croisette. Deadline said “Paper Tiger” marks his sixth film in competition there, and his last feature, “Armageddon Time,” premiered at Cannes in 2022 before opening in U.S. theaters through Focus Features. (deadline.com 1) (deadline.com 2) For Neon, the pickup keeps the distributor planted in the Cannes market after a stretch of festival-driven releases. IndieWire said the deal lands in the middle of this year’s competition among buyers chasing Cannes titles, with Neon and Mubi among the most active names. (indiewire.com) (variety.com) The next step is the premiere on the Croisette, where “Paper Tiger” will arrive with a competition berth and a North American distributor already in place. (festival-cannes.com) (deadline.com)