Australian directors are set to be well represented at Cannes this year, with George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing another early addition to the program.
Variety reports the romance/drama/fantasy will have its world premiere at the 75th edition of the festival, joining Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis.
Written and directed by Miller, who also produces with Doug Miller, the story follows a scholar, content with life, who encounters a Djinn that offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. Their conversation, in a hotel room in Istanbul, leads to consequences neither would have expected.
Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba lead the cast for the film, which Miller has previously described as being “almost the opposite of Fury Road“.
Heads of department include cinematographer John Seale, editor Margaret Sixel, casting director Nikki Barrett, costume designer Kym Barrett and production designer Roger Ford.
Details of the production have been kept under wraps, with production originally scheduled to start in March 2020, before being delayed as a result of the pandemic, and eventually commencing in Sydney towards the end of that year.
Roadshow Films will release the film in Australia while MGM has North American rights. FilmNation is handling international sales.
According to Variety, Chinese and French distribution deals for the film have already been struck with Sunac Culture and Metropolitan FilmExport, respectively.
The world premiere will mark a return to Cannes for Miller, whose Mad Max: Fury Road was an screened out of competition in 2015. The filmmaker was headed the jury at the 69th edition of the event a year later.
The 75th Cannes Film Festival will be held from May 17 – 28.