Richard Linklater sounded off on Trump’s tariff threat on foreign-made films during the Cannes press conference for his new film “Nouvelle Vague,” saying: “That’s not going to happen right?”
Linklater shot “Nouvelle Vague,” which chronicles the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless,” in France. When asked if he had any thoughts on Trump’s recent threat to impose a 100% tax on films made outside of the U.S., the director doubted the viability of the proposal.
“The tariff thing, that’s not going to happen right? That guy changes his mind like 50 times in one day,” Linklater said. “It’s the one export industry in the U.S., it would be kind of dumb to… Whatever, we don’t have to talk about that.”
On if it has become more expensive to make films in the U.S., Linklater said: “I think the true indie film, the no-budget film, has cost the same for the last 60 years. It’s always about how much you have, so that doesn’t change much.”
Zoey Deutch, who plays “Breathless” leading lady Jean Seberg in the film, then chimed in to say that “it would be nice to make more movies in Los Angeles.”
“The history and the studios and the culture and the crews, it would be so beautiful,” she said. “I just finished doing a movie there and it was magical in the same way that Paris is magical and has this history. I would love for there to be more movies in Los Angeles.”
Guillaume Marbeck stars as Godard in “Nouvelle Vague,” with Aubry Dullin playing “Breathless” star Jean-Paul Belmondo. The movie is Linklater’s first project shot in French.
“Nouvelle Vague” premiered at Cannes on Saturday night to an enthusiastic ovation and glowing reviews. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman called the movie a highlight of the 2025 festival, writing: “Guillaume Marbeck is so perfect as Jean-Luc Godard he’s uncanny. And so is the whole movie.”
