Festival de Cannes 2026, or Cannes 79th if we consider the numbered edition, is already starting its engines for the event to be held in the French city on May 12-23th. The organisers' first public announcement has been that of the film industry figure who will get the Honour Palme d'Or at this year's edition, and it's none other than Peter Jackson.
The New Zealand filmmaker changed the industry with the way he brought The Lord of the Rings to the big screen, and although he was also involved in King Kong, District 9, and The Hobbit, it is the milestone he achieved in his homeland what has naturally been picked up by Cannes as a career highlight, more son when it's about to be 25 years since The Fellowship of the Ring:
"On 13 May 2001, 26 minutes were enough. The first images, still in editing, of The Lord of the Rings were presented as a world premiere to the press at the 54th edition of the Festival. With this now-legendary trilogy, Peter Jackson initiated one of the most decisive turning points in contemporary cinema: a new way of creating images, building universes and telling stories".
Though the director hasn't been as prolific as of late, he's also involved in the return of the Tolkien franchise in cinemas with TLOTR: The Hunt for Gollum (currently scheduled for December 2027) and is also expected to work on the sequel to 2011's The Adventures of Tintin, a project he shared with both Steven Spielberg and Gollum's Andy Serkis.
Jackson will receive the award on the inaugural day and take the baton from Denzel Washington and Robert De Niro, who were recognised last year. De Niro took the chance to protest against Donald Trump's tariffs at the Opening Ceremony.
"Each year, during the 12 days of the event, more than 35,000 professionals and festival-goers climb the 24 steps of the "Palais" under the gaze of millions of cinema lovers"
We at Gamereactor covered Cannes 78 extensively last year and plan to follow suit at the Festival de Cannes 2026, so stay with us if you're a moviegoer and lover.