Paper Tiger added to Cannes

Cannes added James Gray’s “Paper Tiger” to its main competition on April 22, putting the film into this year’s Palme d’Or race. (festival-cannes.com) The 79th Cannes Film Festival runs May 12-23, and “Paper Tiger” arrived after the festival’s first 2026 lineup announcement on April 9. Screen Daily reported the addition brought the Competition slate to 22 films. (festival-cannes.com; screendaily.com) The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver and Miles Teller, with Gray writing and directing. Variety reported Neon bought North American rights ahead of the Cannes premiere. (variety.com) Trade reports describe “Paper Tiger” as a crime drama about two brothers chasing the American dream who become entangled with the Russian mafia. British Cinematographer said the film was shot by cinematographer Joaquín Baca-Asay. (variety.com; britishcinematographer.co.uk) Gray is a Cannes regular, with “Armageddon Time” premiering in Competition in 2022 and earlier festival berths for “The Immigrant,” “Two Lovers” and “We Own the Night.” The late addition puts one of the festival’s best-known American auteurs back on the Croisette. (hollywoodreporter.com; screendaily.com) The move also gives Cannes one of its most recognizable English-language cast packages in Competition after weeks of speculation that Gray’s film would join the lineup. Deadline reported festival director Thierry Frémaux had hinted more titles could be added when the first slate was unveiled in Paris. (deadline.com; festival-cannes.com) For buyers, that matters because a Cannes Competition slot can raise a film’s profile before wider sales and awards campaigns begin. Neon, which already has a strong Cannes track record, now brings “Paper Tiger” to the festival with a North American distributor in place. (variety.com; hollywoodreporter.com) The next step is straightforward: “Paper Tiger” will premiere on the Croisette in May, now as one of 22 films competing for the Palme d’Or. (festival-cannes.com; screendaily.com)