Peter Jackson, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton Set Cannes Conversations

Alongside receiving an honorary Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Peter Jackson is now set to sit down for a special conversation.

The acclaimed “Lord of the Rings” has been named as part of the festival’s “Rendezvous at the Festival de Cannes” program of public discussions alongside Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton.

Jackson’s visit comes almost 25 years to the day that the first images of “The Lord of the Rings” were revealed at Cannes, one of the first steps in what would become a $3 billion dollar franchise winning 17 Oscars, revolutionising VFX and cementing the legendary status of its director. He’ll take part in the talk on May 13, the day after he’s awarded the Palme.

Blanchett, meanwhile, has been attending Cannes since 1999, serving as jury president 20 years later. One of the most acclaimed and celebrated actresses working today, with two Oscars and four BAFTAs, Blancett has also founded the Proof of Concept program supporting women, trans and non-binary voices, as well as the Displacement Film Fund for refugee filmmakers and those telling stories of displacement. As she did in 2025, Blanchett will host a panel at the Festival de Cannes 2026 announcing the next cohort of artists it supports. Her talk is scheduled for May 17.

Another Cannes regular, Swinton has seemlessly switched between experimental art-house and major Hollywood productions since her 1992 breakout in “Orlando,” winning both an Oscar and BAFTA. She was recently at the festival with “Asteroid City” and “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” and also served as a jury member in 2004. Swinton’s Rendezvous discussion will take place May 21.