Gentle Monster (film)
2026 film
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gentle Monster is an upcoming drama film written and directed by Marie Kreutzer, starring Léa Seydoux, Jella Haase, Laurence Rupp, and Catherine Deneuve. It is a co-production between Austria, Germany and France.[1]
| Gentle Monster | |
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| Directed by | Marie Kreutzer |
| Written by | Marie Kreutzer |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Judith Kaufmann |
| Edited by | Ulrike Kofler |
| Music by | Camille |
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Running time | 114 minutes |
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The film will have its world premiere at the main competition of the 79th Cannes Film Festival on 15 May 2026, where it will compete for the Palme d'Or.[2][3]
Plot
Lucy, a successful pianist, moves with her family from Munich to the countryside to support her partner Philip after he suffers burnout, sacrificing her own career in the process. Elsa, a special investigator, struggles with the responsibility of caring for her father, who suffers from dementia. Both women face the dark truths of the men in their life.
Cast
- Léa Seydoux as Lucy Weiss
- Jella Haase as Elsa Kühn
- Laurence Rupp as Philip Weiss
- Nils Strunk as Lukas
- Malo Blanchet as Johnny
- Anton Rubtsov as Arian
- Catherine Deneuve as Eloise
- Patrycja Ziółkowska as Natalia
- Sylvester Groth as Hermann Kühn
- Regina Fritsch as Inge Weiss
- Rainer Doppler as Volker Weiss
- Katharina Lorenz as Maike
- Baran Sönmez as Kevin
- Filipe Repak as Johnny (young)
- Sara Sukarie as Dragana
- Sami Loris as Hannes
Production
Development
In 2022, Kreutzer released her historical drama film Corsage, which starred Austrian actor Florian Teichtmeister as Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria.[4] On 13 January 2023, it was reported that Teichtmeister had been charged with possession of child pornography.[5][6][7] On 15 January 2023, Kreutzer released a statement saying that she was "sad and angry that a feminist film that more than 300 people from all over Europe worked on for years may be tarnished and damaged by the horrific actions of one person".[8][9] Kreutzer said she was informed of the rumors about Teichtmeister in Autumn 2021, after the filming for Corsage had wrapped,[9] and when she inquired the actor about these rumors via email,[10] he "convincingly assured us (and others) of their falsity".[9]
In 2020, Kreutzer started working on a new film under the working title Johnny Maccaroni, which deals with a topic similar to Teichtmeister's case.[10] The project, for which Kreutzer received funding in 2021,[11] is about a woman who is visited by the police one day because her husband published a photo of their child in a dark web chat group in which men share content about how to abuse a child.[10] Kreutzer told German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung in January 2023 that she was unsure whether the film would even come about.[10] The project was retitled Gentle Monster.[12]
Gentle Monster was produced by Alexander Gehr and Johanna Scherz at the Vienna-based company Film AG, in co-production with Germany's Komplizen Film and France's Kazak Productions,[13] alongside Sweden's Kjellson & Wik and Film i Väst, and the broadcasters ORF (Film/Fernsehabkommen), ZDF and ZDF/Arte. The production was supported by the Austrian Film Institute, German Federal Film Fund, Filmfonds Wien, Eurimages - Council of Europe, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Lower Austria, Cinestyria Filmcommission and Fonds.[14] It was selected as one of the projects presented at the 2025 Marché du Film Investors Circle initiative, where it was awarded the main ArteKino International Prize.[15]
Filming
Principal photography began in September 2025.[16] Filming took place in Niederschleinz in Sitzendorf an der Schmida in November 2025.[17] Filming was also planned to take place in Altaussee.[18] Judith Kaufmann served as cinematographer, the music was composed by Camille and Ulrike Kofler was responsible for the editing.[14]
Release
Gentle Monster was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival,[19][20] where it will have its world premiere on 15 May.[21]
International sales are handled by Mk2 Films.[22] The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in Germany by Alamode Film in autumn or winter of 2026,[23] and in France by Ad Vitam in 2027.[14]
Reception
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival | 23 May 2026 | Palme d'Or | Marie Kreutzer | Pending | [19] |
