Sparks musical with Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard to open Cannes film festival

Written by Ron and Russell Mael and set in Los Angeles, Annette is the first English-language film by Holy Motors director Leos Carax

The rescheduled 2021 edition of the Cannes film festival has picked Annette, a new film from Holy Motors director Leos Carax and starring Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver, for its high-profile opening slot.

The musical, written by Sparks duo Ron and Russell Mael, is described by the festival as the story of Henry, a standup comedian with a fierce sense of humour, and Ann, a singer of international renown ... They are the perfect couple, healthy, happy, and glamorous. The birth of their first child, Annette, a mysterious girl with an exceptional destiny, will change their lives." It is Carax's first English-language film and is set in Los Angeles.