I hope they serve biscuits and dog food at the Cannes Film Festival because Messi, the Border Collie from Justin Triet’s Academy Award-winning drama Anatomy of a Fall, is making his way to the annual celebration of film in France. D18 Paris says Messi is getting his own short program at Cannes, though it’s separate from the festival lineup. According to its description, the experience allows audiences to observe the fest “through the eyes and the voice of Messi.”
“This will be an opportunity for Messi to ask his guest any questions with the innocence of a dog,” says D18 Paris. “When you’re the current international star, you can do anything… and Messi dares to do it all!”
Referred to as the George Clooney of dogs, Messi is Hollywood’s good boy with better manners than most actors. Still, what is the Messi TV show? Messi: The Cannes Film Festival from a Dog’s Eye View is an eight-episode presentation, with each installment lasting one minute. In addition to screening at Cannes, the Messi TV show pads onto the French national TV channels France 2, France 3, Culturebox, and TV5 Monde every day starting May 13, 2024, and running for the duration of the festival. Cannes ends on May 25.
Tim Newman (Rapido, Eutrosh with Jean-Paul Gaultier), who produces through D18 Paris, came up with the idea for the Messi TV show. Raphaël Mezrahi, who provides the voice of Messi, wrote the presentation. Loïc Pourageaux directs, with Laura Martin as Messi’s trainer and owner.
Messi stars as Snoop in 2023’s Anatomy of a Fall. In the film, a woman (Sandra Hüller) is suspected of murder after her husband’s death. The primary witness to the mystery is the couple’s half-blind son, who faces a dilemma as he attempts to recall the tragic event. Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, and Antoine Reinartz join Sandra Hüller as primary cast members.
What do you think about Messi getting a TV show? Are you hoping the eight-episode series comes stateside? Who are some of your favorite dogs in Hollywood history? Let us know in the comments section below.