Kevin Spacey is set to return to the Cannes Film Festival for the first time in almost a decade to collect a lifetime achievement honor.
The two-time Oscar winner was last in Cannes in 2016, when he served as emcee for the amfAR gala and ripped into Donald Trump, then not even the Republican’s confirmed presidential nominee. Much has happened since, with Trump having been elected twice and Spacey’s career nosediving following several allegations of sexual misconduct.
But having been found not liable in a civil lawsuit in New York in 2022 and acquitted in a criminal case in London the following year, the actor is now heading back to Cannes, where he’s due to arrive on Sunday. On Tuesday he’ll receive a special lifetime achievement award at the Better World Fund’s gala, adding to a similar honor he received in Italy last year.
Spacey’s visit to Cannes, which Variety understands could even include a red carpet appearance at the Palais, is likely to cause something of a stir. But that’s the whole point. The entire trip — and his receiving of the award — has been orchestrated by the producers of conspiracy thriller “The Awakening” in which he stars and is being sold at the festival.
The British indie film — about the uncovering of a sinister global cabal that controls the world (and is run by Spacey) — was the first movie the actor shot after being cleared of charges in the U.K. in 2023, his last trial.
“We’ve not just kind of crowbarred him in. It makes sense. It’s not ‘House of Cards,’ but it’s very in line with that kind of character,” said producer Matt Hookings of Camelot Films, adding that bringing him to Cannes is all part of his company’s “guerrilla marketing” to bring attention to the film, which also includes viral videos promoted by Spacey’s co-stars.
“So if anyone speaks to him, he could say he’s in Cannes and receiving an award, but he’s also here with ‘The Awakening,’ so the film gets plugged,” said Hookings, who added that says Spacey will be meeting with buyers.
While flying and accommodating Spacey and his small team is an expensive outlay for a small indie production company, landing him the award from the Better World Fund — which has given similar honors to the likes of Kevin Costner and Sharon Stone over the last few years — proved to be relatively easy.
“The guy that runs it is a big fan of Kevin and I just said, ‘Look, here’s a crazy idea: if I asked him to come, what can you do for him?,’” said Hookings. “So it kind of happened organically.”
Added the producer: “A lot of people really like him, so you’ll have a lot of people going, ‘This is really cool.’ And then you’ll have some people that’ll be like, ‘What the fuck is he doing here?’ But hopefully the people who say, ‘What the fuck is he doing,’ when they realize why he’s here they’ll give him a seocnd chance.”
