American actor and producer michael douglas will receive the Palme d’Or of Honor at the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, in honor of his entire film career. The contest, which will be held from May 16 to 27, will pay homage to him during its opening ceremony, after which the inaugural film, Jeanne duBarry, directed by Maiwenn and with Johnny Depp in the cast.
“It’s always a breath of fresh air to be in Cannes, for so long a wonderful platform for daring creators, artistic daring and storytelling excellence,” Douglas writes in his thank you statement. “After more than fifty years in the industry, it is an honor to return to the Croisette to open the festival and embrace the universal language of cinema that we share.”
The actor fondly remembers his first visit to Cannes, which took place in 1979 with Jane Fonda and Jack Lemon accompanying The China Syndrome of James Bridges. Decades later, the participation of basic instinct (1992) in competition with Sharon Stone caused a sensation on the Croisette. The following year, Douglas returned with another shocking film of Paul Verhoeven, A day of fury. Until now, the actor’s last appearance at the festival had been with Behind the Candelabra (2013), the film by Steven Soderbergh where he plays Liberace.
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