Soderbergh launches John Lennon sales at Cannes

Steven Soderbergh’s documentary “John Lennon: The Last Interview” entered the Cannes market on May 14 with Patrick Wachsberger’s 193 handling international sales, according to Variety. The move came one day before the film’s scheduled world premiere on Friday, May 15, in the festival’s Special Screenings section. CAA Media Finance is handling North American rights, Variety reported. The film centers on John Lennon’s final in-depth interview, recorded on December 8, 1980, when Lennon and Yoko Ono spoke with a small radio crew in their New York apartment while promoting “Double Fantasy.” Cannes says the documentary runs 100 minutes and is a U.S. production. Variety reported that producer Nancy Saslow made the film for Mishpookah Entertainment Group and Sugar23. (variety.com) ### Why is the sales launch happening at Cannes now? May 14 was the point at which the film formally entered the market ahead of its May 15 festival screening, according to Variety. Cannes lists the title in its 2026 Official Selection under Special Screenings, giving buyers a festival platform as sales begin. Variety said 193 boarded the project as international sales agent this week. (variety.com) The trade publication described the move as 193’s expansion into premium nonfiction, after the company spent its first year building a narrative-film sales slate. ### What exactly is in Soderbergh’s Lennon film? December 8, 1980, is the date at the center of the documentary. (variety.com) Variety and Cannes both say the film presents the near-complete or complete final interview Lennon gave, framed by reflections from people who were present when the conversation was recorded. Deadline reported on May 4 that the interview had never before been released in full and that Soderbergh built the documentary around the audio recording. (variety.com) Cannes lists John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Dave Sholin, Laurie Kaye, Ron Hummel and Bert Keane among the credited participants. ### Who is 193, and why does that matter to this deal? Patrick Wachsberger leads 193, a production and sales venture launched with Legendary Entertainment in January 2025, according to trade reports. (variety.com) The company was set up to develop and produce its own films and to represent global distribution rights for completed titles. Variety said this is 193’s second Cannes market. (deadline.com) Screen Daily reported last year that the company secured international sales on several Cannes titles, including Lynne Ramsay’s “Die My Love,” which Variety also cited as its biggest sale of that market. ### How has Soderbergh described the film’s construction? Deadline reported that Soderbergh used archival material assembled with the support of the Lennon estate and that Meta served as a creative technology and financial partner on the project. (hollywoodreporter.com) Variety said Meta was the film’s technology partner and that Soderbergh used the company’s AI tools for select sequences making up about 10% of the feature. (variety.com) May 4 is when Deadline published Soderbergh’s comments about the approach. He said he wanted to preserve the substance of the conversation while reducing a near three-hour source interview into a feature-length film. ### What happens next for the film after the market launch? May 15 is the next concrete date for the project. Cannes lists “John Lennon: The Last Interview” as a Special Screening in the festival’s 79th edition, and IMDb also lists a May 15, 2026 France release tied to the Cannes showing. (variety.com) CAA Media Finance is handling North American rights, while 193 is taking the film to international buyers, according to Variety. (deadline.com) Any further distribution deals are likely to emerge from the Cannes market as screenings begin. (variety.com) (festival-cannes.com)