It feels like we’ve been waiting forever to get our eyes on Xavier Dolan’s “The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.” With initial production ending in 2016 and filming completely done in early 2017, we thought for sure that Dolan’s next film would premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. But as previously reported, ‘Donovan’ was not part of this year’s festival lineup. And now, Dolan has spoken out, hinting that the film was almost included.
In an email sent to IndieWire, the acclaimed filmmaker said, “I wanted to send it to Cannes, and I did. But some last-minute developments prompted us to decide it wasn’t the ideal place for the film to premiere, and I can’t say I disagree.”
Those “last-minute developments” can be added to whatever else seems to be plaguing this project. Rumors have been swirling that the film has been submitted to a few festivals but was rejected. This combined with the fact that the film has been in the can for well over a year, but remains stuck in the editing phase, leads us to wonder what exactly is going on with ‘Donovan.’ The last news we received on the film was in February when it was announced that Jessica Chastain, who was supposed to have a fairly large role in the film, was completely cut, due to “editorial and narrative” reasons.
Regardless of the behind-the-scenes issues, the fact that ‘Donovan’ won’t premiere at Cannes is bittersweet for the filmmaker. “I was born in Cannes,” he said. “I love Cannes. In spite of its typical contradictions and occasional toxicity, it is a place where people celebrate art and storytelling.”
“‘Donovan’ being a film that focuses, among other things on fame and admiration and discusses how artists can live their lives with integrity, it seemed so right to premiere in a festival that celebrates artists and the art of film, but is also renowned for being, historically, so glamorous,” Dolan continued.
“The Death and Life of John F. Donovan” stars Kit Harrington, Natalie Portman, Kathy Bates, Susan Sarandon, and Thandie Newton. The film focuses on the correspondence between a TV star, played by Harrington, and a young British boy. The gossip surrounding the story results in tragedy for John F. Donovan.
With Cannes out of the picture, we have no idea when we will see “The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.” Common sense would dictate that we won’t see the film before the upcoming fall festivals. However, with the way things have been going, that’s definitely not a guarantee.