In one of the most exciting projects unveiled at Cannes, Jenna Ortega is slated to play the lead role in “Lily May B,” the highly anticipated next film by the visionary French auteur Leos Carax. This significant collaboration between the acclaimed director and one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising young stars is scheduled to commence shooting in Spring 2027.

“Lily May B” will mark Carax’s seventh feature film and serves as his follow-up to “Annette,” a bold musical romance starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. “Annette” notably opened the Cannes Film Festival in 2021 and earned Carax a Best Director award. The pairing of Carax with Ortega for the first time is a highly anticipated event, given Ortega’s impressive trajectory in Hollywood. Her breakout success with “Wednesday” and Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has established her as a prominent young talent. Furthermore, Ortega has led successful installments of the “Scream” franchise and has increasingly ventured into the art-house world with recent roles, including this year’s Sundance player “The Gallerist” opposite Natalie Portman.

The project is being brought to fruition by Hugo Sélignac of Chi-Fou-Mi Productions, one of France’s top producers and a Mediawan banner. Chi-Fou-Mi Productions has a notable presence at Cannes, showcasing a total of five films, including Jeanne Herry’s Palme d’Or contender “Garance” and Quentin Dupieux’s “Full Phil.” Exclusive concept art provided for “Lily May B” suggests a heightened and dreamlike visual style, consistent with Carax’s distinctive artistic approach seen in his cult classics such as “Holy Motors” and “Les Amants du Pont-Neuf.”

Based on a cryptic synopsis, the film appears to be a dystopian, surreal road movie. The narrative centers on a little girl, a young woman, and a young boy, each burdened by a secret too heavy to bear. They meet in an “end-of-world world” and embark on a journey aboard a big motorcycle through empty cities, deserted freeways, and immemorial forests. Despite encountering numerous dangers, they persist in their quest, searching for their identities and a