Clint's 'Changeling' set for Cannes

The full slate of Cannes Official Selection entries is being announced today in Paris.

"Changeling," which Universal will release domestically in November, also stars John Malkovich, Amy Ryan and Colm Feore. Pic will be Eastwood's fifth to compete in Cannes, after "Pale Rider," "White Hunter, Black Heart," "Bird" and "Mystic River."

In a reversal of how the situation looked late last week, Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," which stars Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson and Javier Bardem, will appear in Cannes after all, with Allen attending the fest over the initial weekend.

In another switch, it seems that Barry Levinson's "What Just Happened?" may not close the fest, leaving question marks over both the opening and closing slots, which have been unusually difficult to fill this year (Daily Variety, April 18).

Speculation continues to surround Steven Soderbergh's dual Che Guevara features, "The Argentine" and "Guerrilla." Despite the desires of both Soderbergh and Cannes topper Thierry Fremaux to premiere the films on the Croisette, it looked all but certain last week that the biographical dramas simply wouldn't be ready in time. No one is saying the situation has definitely changed, but the competition schedule is being left flexible enough to accommodate Soderbergh in case he decides the films are in shape to present to the public -- a result for which Cannes programmers have evidently been given some reason to hope.

It would hardly be the first time a not-entirely-finished film unspools in Competition; indeed, "Apocalypse Now" and "Paris, Texas" were both further reshaped by their directors after winning the Palme d'Or.

Among other last-minute additions to the competition are the new pictures by Chinese helmer Jia Zhangke and Singapore's Eric Khoo. South Korean auteur Kim Jee-woon's "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" will be shown in the Official Selection in a special screening.