Bad news for Game of Thrones fans hoping that Kit Harington may walk the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival next year: his latest movie, directed by Xavier Dolan, will not be screened.
Dolan, something of a critical darling at the festival in previous years, said he will not show his new project, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, in Cannes next May. In an Instagram post he pointed to a "culture of trolling, bullying and unwarranted hatred" for his decision, which is an apparent reference to the poor reception his film It's Only the End of the World received earlier this year, despite being awarded the Grand Prix prize by the awards jury.
He wrote: "Since it appears we live in a time where they (critics) are unable to be disassociated, it is one's right to choose different trajectories for his work, without necessarily acting out of frustration, or reprisal."
It's Only the End of the World, starring Marion Cotillard and Vincent Cassel, was met with poor reviews—even being dubbed the "most disappointing film at Cannes" by Vanity Fair.
Speaking about the reaction the film received in Cannes, Dolan, who attended a premiere for the film in Montreal last week, told the Montreal Gazette: "I was extremely hurt. I've always read the reviews of my films. I've always found it very interesting to learn what people think of my work. Without knowing what people think of my work, I'm just in the dark. I need to know what people think. But this was like reading a psychological diagnostic. It was so personal and so cruel. When I got back here after Cannes, I was in a state of shock. Something was broken and I don't think it will ever be repaired."
His latest film, John F. Donovan, stars an A-list cast, including Harington, Natalie Portman, Jessica Chastain, Kathy Bates, Michael Gambon and Thandie Newton. It tells the story of an American television star whose pen-pal correspondence with a young boy is exposed by a gossip columnist, leading to serious repercussions.
Dolan reasoned that he won't show the film at Cannes because "there are bits in it that are so much like what I lived in Cannes, and I'm afraid that people would think it's my revenge project. Except that I wrote it five years ago."
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