Rising Hollywood star Jenna Ortega is set to headline the next feature project from acclaimed French auteur Leos Carax. The upcoming film, titled Lily May B, was officially unveiled at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival, marking a major collaboration between the Wednesday actress and the celebrated director known for his surreal, dreamlike cinematic style.
A journey into the unknown
Lily May B is described as a dystopian and surreal road movie. The film’s cryptic synopsis reveals an intriguing premise involving three central characters—a little girl, a young woman, and a young boy—who each carry a heavy, painful secret. Set against a bleak, post-apocalyptic landscape, the trio embarks on a journey across abandoned cities, empty highways, and ancient forests on a motorcycle, searching for survival, identity, and a place to belong.
The director has offered a typically mysterious tease regarding the project’s tone, stating, “Once upon a time, this is what destroyed us, and this is what kept us alive.”
Production and behind-the-scenes
The project is currently in the development phase, with filming scheduled to begin in the spring of 2027. It will be produced by Hugo Sélignac under the Chi-Fou-Mi Productions banner. Sélignac expressed his enthusiasm for the project, noting that bringing Leos Carax’s unique vision to the screen, especially when paired with Ortega’s immense talent, feels like a natural evolution for cinema.
While Jenna Ortega is officially confirmed for the lead, further details regarding the rest of the cast are expected to be announced in September. This film marks Carax’s first major feature since his 2021 musical romance Annette, which opened the Cannes Film Festival and earned him the Best Director award.
As Ortega continues to balance high-profile mainstream projects with ambitious, auteur-driven cinema, Lily May B is already shaping up to be one of the most anticipated films in development.