Sawt Falasteen - Cruise to showcase last 'Mission: Impossible' at Cannes

Cruise's presence, three years after he lit up the French Riviera while promoting "Top Gun: Maverick", marks a major coup for festival organisers.

"Mission: Impossible –- The Final Reckoning" is one of the most hotly awaited blockbusters of the year and is set for release in cinemas worldwide from May 17.

"After nearly three decades of thrills, stunts and twists, 'Mission: Impossible –- The Final Reckoning' promises to deliver an unforgettable cinematic experience," the festival said in a statement.

On Monday, they announced that De Niro, star of "Taxi Driver" and "Godfather Part II", would be given an honorary Palme d'Or at the opening ceremony of the world's premier film festival on May 13.

Cannes president Iris Knobloch and long-time director Thierry Fremaux will unveil the selection of in-competition films and other major premieres at a press conference in Paris on Thursday.

The industry is buzzing with speculation about who will attend one month before the red carpet rolls out on the seafront Croisette in Cannes.

Cinemas are desperate for some stardust and sparkling new films after a series of expensive Hollywood flops this year.

These include Disney's live-action "Snow White," superhero sequel "Captain America: Brave New World" and bizarre sci-fi movie "Mickey 17".

The much-hyped "A Minecraft Movie", released last week, was panned by critics but might help to lift the gloom after a record-breaking opening weekend in the United States.

- Contenders -

The head of the Cannes jury this year is French screen legend Juliette Binoche, who will hand out the famed Palme d'Or for best film.

Around 20 movies are set to compete in the top category, looking to emulate the success of last year's winner, "Anora" by Sean Baker.

Terrence Malick, who won the Palme d’Or for "The Tree of Life" 14 years ago, has been tipped to return with a long-awaited project inspired by biblical stories.

Other festival veterans could also return, such as Jim Jarmusch ("Broken Flowers", "Dead Man"), whose latest film stars Cate Blanchett and Adam Driver.

Wes Anderson, 55, has also assembled yet another star-studded cast for his latest film, featuring Benicio Del Toro, Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson.

Johansson, 40, could bring a breath of fresh air to the festival by presenting her directorial debut, "Eleanor the Great".

Another actress-turned-director, Kristen Stewart, 34, has also recently completed her first feature film.

Experts have also suggested the new master of American horror, 38-year-old Ari Aster -— known for his chilling films "Hereditary" and "Midsommar" -— could make his Cannes debut with a movie starring Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone.

Three French female directors, Julia Ducournau (2021 Palme d’Or winner for "Titane"), Rebecca Zlotowski ("Other People's Children", "An Easy Girl") or Alice Winocour, who has made a film about Paris Fashion Week starring Angelina Jolie, have also been named as contenders.

Exiled Russian filmmakers such as Kirill Serebrennikov, Andrey Zvyagintsev and rising talent Kantemir Balagov could also feature.

The festival has yet to announce its opening film on May 13 or the full composition of the jury.

"Mission: Impossible" will screen on the second day, May 14.

Z.AlNajjar--SF-PST