For his first film since 2012’s Holy Motors, veteran filmmaker Leos Carax is taking a big, sweeping, operatic swing with Annette. The musical drama led by Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard will be opening Cannes later this year, and the first trailer for it has dropped.
The first fully English-language effort by Carax, Annette stars Driver and Cotillard as a stand-up comedian and internationally renowned singer, respectively, whose celebrity life is changed forever by the birth of their daughter, a “mysterious girl with an exceptional destiny” says the ominious synopsis.
The trailer itself is just as foreboding, with Driver’s character providing some creepy, dominant voiceover. Music is key, as the film moves along entirely through song, using original music by the band Sparks.
Originally, the cast was going to look very different with Driver starring alongside Rooney Mara and Rihanna. Mara dropped out and was replaced by Michelle Williams, only to be replaced herself by Cotillard.
Annette will be part of the Cannes competition slate when the festival opens on July 6th.
