The 2026 Cannes Film Festival has only just ended, but US audiences are already anticipating when some of its biggest films will hit theaters later this year (and if not theaters, then the Fall festival circuit). MUBI has an answer for one of Cannes 2026’s most highly regarded films, Pawel Pawlikowski‘s “Fatherland“: it’ll hit theaters this Fall, but it’s unclear when.
READ MORE: Oscars Kick Off At Cannes But Don’t Overhype It Yet
Pawlikowski’s latest sees him in familiar territory, extending his probing gaze at post-war Europe audiences know from “Ida” and “Cold War” to a new thriller about German novelist Thomas Mann returning to his homeland from the US at the height of the Cold War. Sandra Hüller stars.
Here’s an official synopsis for “Fatherland,” courtesy of MUBI:
FATHERLAND centers on the relationship between the Nobel Prize-winning writer Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler) and his daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller) – actress, writer and rally driver. Set at the height of the Cold War, father and daughter embark on a challenging and emotional road trip in a black Buick taking them across a Germany in ruins – from US dominated Frankfurt to Soviet controlled Weimar. For the first time since the war, Mann returns to his native Germany, having made the difficult decision to flee for the safety of the US.
Along with Hüller, “Fatherland” also stars Hanns Zischler, August Diehl, Devid Striesow, Anna Madeley, David Menkin, and Joachim Meyerhoff.
Pawlikowski also co-writes the screenplay for “Fatherland” with Henk Handloegten. Producers on the film include Mario Gianani, Lorenzo Mieli, Ewa Puszczyńska, Jeanne Tremsal, Edward Berger, Dimitri Rassam, and Lorenzo Gangarossa.
As noted earlier, “Fatherland” just had its world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where Pawlikowski won Best Director. Critics are very high on the film, too, with The Playlist awarding an A-/B+ grade (read our review here).
Watch the new trailer for “Fatherland” below. Stay tuned for an official release date for Pawlikowski’s latest from MUBI.
