Cannes 2026 Picks Iconic ‘Thelma & Louise’ for Festival Poster!

Following the 2025 poster featuring “A Man and a Woman” with Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant, the 2026 poster highlights another dynamic duo with “Thelma and Louise.” Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon shine as the heroines on the official poster of the 79th Cannes Film Festival!

Official poster credit for the 79th Cannes Film Festival: Photo by Roland Neveu, on the set of Thelma and Louise (Ridley Scott, 1991) © MGM Studios / Graphic design © Hartland Villa

The Cannes Festival chose this image to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the film’s world premiere on May 20, 1991, at Cannes.

In a statement, the festival organizers expressed, “These two unforgettable warriors shattered tables and cinematic and political stereotypes; they embodied absolute freedom and unwavering friendship; they paved the way for emancipation when it becomes vital. To remember them today is to celebrate the progress made, without overlooking the journey that still lies ahead.

The forward-thinking themes of 1991 in Thelma and Louise

(…) They hit the road, they escape, they flee – from life, society, the men who mistreat them – to forge their own path. The pioneering themes of 1991 in Thelma and Louise still resonate strongly today. The Cannes Festival chose this black and white production photo for a film full of life and timeless struggles for the freedom to be oneself.

Ridley Scott and His History with the Cannes Festival

As the Cannes Festival notes, director Ridley Scott has a longstanding relationship with the festival, making his debut with his first film in 1977! “The Duellists” was in competition and won the Jury Prize for Best First Film.

“In 1991, for his 7th feature film scripted by Callie Khouri (Oscar and Golden Globes 1992) and produced by Mimi Polk Gitlin, the British director, who became one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers (Alien, Blade Runner, and later Gladiator among others), chose to flip the script on the traditionally male road movie genre by filming it from a female perspective, and telling a breathless epic that becomes a no-return chase: reclaiming their bodies and desires comes at a great cost for the two heroines.

Upon its release in the United States, this female Easy Rider sparked debates and controversies

Upon its release in the United States, this female Easy Rider sparked debates and controversies. But the success was indeed there. Like a liberating explosion, Ridley Scott’s transgressive work marks a milestone in the history of women’s representation in cinema. It quickly became generational: it is now a cult classic. Thanks to an astonishing duo of actresses who recall the Redford-Newman pair in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the film is an ode to female friendship, set against the wild and majestic landscapes of the Midwest, filmed like a western with a soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. Two exceptional actresses, Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, give their all to their characters, making them iconic through the intensity of their performances.

The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will take place from Tuesday, May 12 to Saturday, May 23, 2026.

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