PARIS, May 12, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - The Cannes Film Festival starts Tuesday with
an action-packed script including the comeback of Hollywood icons, fears of a
strike, a Donald Trump biopic and the shadow of MeToo accusations.

The return of "The Godfather" director Francis Ford Coppola with his decades-
in-the-making epic "Megalopolis" is the most anticipated of this year's
entries for the top prize Palme d'Or.

It is one of 22 films competing for the affections of a jury led by "Barbie"
director Greta Gerwig, which will announce its verdict on May 25.

Those walking the red carpet include actors Richard Gere, Demi Moore and
Kevin Costner, all present in new films. Three-time Oscar-winner Meryl Streep
and "Star Wars" creator George Lucas will also receive honorary awards.

And the latest from George Miller's "Mad Max" universe, "Furiosa", starring
Anya Taylor-Joy, will also get its world premiere on Wednesday.

But there are darker plotlines at the 77th edition of the festival.

France's film industry is in the midst of a belated MeToo reckoning, with a
string of accusations against its biggest star, Gerard Depardieu, and rumours
in the run-up to Cannes of more accusations to come against high-profile
figures.

Actor Judith Godreche, who has accused two directors of assaulting her when
she was a teenager, is presenting a short film, "Moi Aussi" (Me Too) aimed at
encouraging more women to come forward.

Meanwhile, one of the directors in competition, Iran's award-winning Mohammad
Rasoulof, has just been jailed in his home country on security charges days
before he was due to present "The Seed of the Sacred Fig".

And a group of festival employees have called for a strike over pay and
conditions that could cause disruption at the event.

- Trump, Coppola, Stone -

Among the entries for the Palme d'Or is "The Apprentice", a biopic of Trump's
formative years from Iranian-born director Ali Abbasi. It stars Sebastian
Stan, known for playing the Winter Soldier in Marvel films.

And "Emilia Perez" has quite the synopsis: a musical about a Mexican cartel
boss undergoing a sex change to escape the authorities, directed by France's
own Golden Palm winner Jacques Audiard. Pop superstar Selena Gomez appears in
a supporting role.

But the hot ticket is undoubtedly Coppola's "Megalopolis" on Thursday. A
Roman epic set in modern-day New York, it stars Adam Driver as a visionary
architect seeking to rebuild the crumbling city.

There is a growing sense of anticipation over whether the 85-year-old
director can match his masterpieces of the 1970s, when he twice won the Palme
d'Or for "Apocalypse Now" and "The Conversation".

Elsewhere, Emma Stone reunites with director Yorgos Lanthimos, fresh from
their Oscar triumph with "Poor Things", for "Kinds of Kindness".

It co-stars up-and-coming actor Margaret Qualley, daughter of Andie McDowell,
who also features in Demi Moore's unlikely comeback, slasher-horror "The
Substance".

Film fans are also excited for new works from body-horror maestro David
Cronenberg ("The Shrouds"), Italy's Paolo Sorrentino ("Parthenope") and
Oliver Stone ("Lula", a documentary about Brazil's president).

Playing out of competition, Costner returns to his favourite genre, the
Western, with the epic "Horizon, an American Saga".

And one of China's biggest-ever productions, "She's Got No Name", features
megastar Ziyi Zhang tackling the highly sensitive topic of women's rights.

Legendary Japanese animators Studio Ghibli -- makers of "Spirited Away", "My
Neighbour Totoro" and "Howl's Moving Castle" -- will receive an honorary
Palme d'Or, the first offered to a group.