It seems as though Hirokazu Kore-eda will be returning to Cannes this year with “Broker,” according to Korean media. This would be Kore-eda’s first film at Cannes since his 2018 Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters.”
According to a press release, “Broker” will follow a group of individuals whose lives become “intertwined around a mysterious ‘Baby Box’, which is a box designed to allow people, who are unable to raise children, to deposit their babies anonymously.”
The journalist also confirms what I had reported on 11.19.21, that Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave” will be part of Cannes 2022. In that same report, I had also mentioned that Ruben Ostlund’s “Triangle of Sadness” would join Park and Kore-eda’s films in competition. Ostlund will also be returning to the festival for the first time since winning the Palme d’Or in 2017 for “The Square.”
Back to Kore-eda, “Shoplifters” ended up grossing $3.3 million in the U.S, and $69.4 million abroad, for a worldwide total of $72.7 million (I’m sure its budget couldn’t have been more than a million dollars). Regardless, this was the “I told you so!” moment for Kore-eda’s fans, many of whom have been praising the 57-year-old director’s works since his 1995 breakthrough “Maborosi”
Kore-eda is not a spring chicken, he’s been in the game now for almost 30 years, releasing well-praised movies such as “After Life,” “Still Walking,” “Like Father Like Son” and “After the Storm” in the process, but he never truly hit the big time until that surprise Palme d’Or win.
As always, we are keeping track and spitballing possible Cannes 2022 titles and this 75th edition of the festival could be another big one. A-list filmmakers with new films ready for Cannes this year include Kore-eda, Park, Ostlund, Cronenberg, Mungiu, Glazer Inarritu, Wes Anderson, Ceylan, Gray, Reichardt, Malick, Dardenne, Hamaguchi and many more.