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In one of the most exciting projects unveiled at Cannes, Jenna Ortega is set to play the lead role in the “Lily May B,” the anticipated next film by visionary French auteur Leos Carax.
Slated to start shooting in Spring 2027, “Lily May B” will mark his follow-up to “Annette,” a bold musical romance starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard which opened Cannes in 2021 and won him a best director award.
Carax’s seventh feature, “Lily May B” will pair for the first time Carax with Ortega, one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising young stars following her breakout success with “Wednesday” and Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” Ortega also led successful installments of the “Scream” franchise, and has increasingly
moved toward the art house world in recent roles — including this year’s Sundance player “The Gallerist” opposite Natalie Portman.
The project comes from one France’s top producers, Hugo Sélignac of Chi-Fou-Mi Productions, a Mediawan banner which is at Cannes with a total of five films (including Jeanne Herry’s Palme d’Or contender “Garance” and Quentin Dupieux’s “Full Phil”). See exclusive concept art for the project below.
Based on a cryptic synopsis, the film could be described as a dystopian, surreal road movie: “Once upon a time, there was a little girl, a young woman and a young boy. They each held a secret too heavy to bear. They met in an end-of-the-world world, and together rode a big motorcycle through empty cities, deserted freeways, immemorial forests. On their journey, they encountered many dangers, but kept going. In search of who they were; in search of a place to B, maybe?”
Carax, whose singular body of work includes cult classics such as “Holy Motors” and “Les Amants du Pont-Neuf,” offered an enigmatic tease for the project, saying “Once upon a time, this is what destroyed us, and this is what kept us alive.” The art that Carax has provided above indicates that the film will have a heightened and dreamlike visual style in the same vein as his previous work.
Sélignac, whose credits include critically acclaimed crowdpleasers such as “Beating Hearts” and “All Your Faces,” said teaming with Carax had long been a personal ambition. “To me, Leos Carax is one of the reasons I fell in love with Cinema,” Selignac said. “Having the chance to embark on this first journey alongside him means a great deal to me. ‘Lily May B’ carries forward his singular vision with the freedom, raw emotion, and visual power that are uniquely his. Seeing this universe meet Jenna Ortega’s immense talent today feels simply natural,” he continued. The rest of the A-list cast will be announced in September.
Ortega is represented by CAA, Jeff Hynick and Viewpoint.
