Jenna Ortega is officially stepping deeper into the arthouse world with one of France’s most visionary filmmakers, Leos Carax, for Lily May B. Known for her dark, brutal screen presence, especially after her global breakout in Wednesday, Ortega has already become a face closely tied to chaos, mystery, and psychological intensity. However, what kind of darkness the actress is now preparing to unravel inside Carax’s surreal cinematic universe still remains a haunting mystery.

And now, as Lily May B has become one of Cannes 2026’s most talked-about projects, here is everything we know so far about Leos Carax’s haunting new film.

Slated to begin filming in Spring 2027, Lily May B marks Leos Carax’s haunting return after Annette, the ambitious musical drama that shook Cannes in 2021 and earned him the Best Director award. Known for surreal cult classics like Holy Motors and Les Amants du Pont-Neuf, Carax described the mysterious project as a story about “what destroyed us” and “what kept us alive,” while early visuals already hint that Lily May B could dive headfirst into the same haunting, dreamlike madness that defines his cinematic legacy. 

“Once upon a time, this is what destroyed us, and this is what kept us alive.” Carax at Cannes 2026. 

Described as a dystopian, surreal road movie, Lily May B follows three mysterious young souls carrying painful secrets as they journey through abandoned cities, empty highways, and ancient forests in an end-of-the-world landscape. Produced by Hugo Sélignac under Chi-Fou-Mi Productions, the film is already being teased as another emotionally haunting visual spectacle from Leos Carax, with Sélignac admitting that seeing Jenna Ortega inside Carax’s surreal cinematic universe “feels simply natural.”

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While the project is one of the biggest buzz titles unveiled at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, Ortega’s casting has only pushed the anticipation into even darker and more exciting territory.

Leos Carax’s seventh feature film will officially mark his first collaboration with Jenna Ortega, one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising stars after the massive success of Wednesday and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Ever since becoming Wednesday Addams in 2022, Ortega has dominated pop culture, with Wednesday turning into Netflix’s most-watched English-language series after pulling over 252 million views and 1.72 billion hours watched within just 91 days. Following the franchise’s huge global success, Netflix has already officially greenlit a third season for the 2027 slate.

However, Ortega’s dark cinematic streak is far from slowing down anytime soon. The actress is already heading into a massive late-2026 lineup with the dystopian sci-fi drama Klara and the Sun alongside Amy Adams, as well as The Great Beyond from J. J. Abrams, where she stars beside Glen Powell and Emma Mackey. Meanwhile, after its huge theatrical success, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has also officially landed on HBO Max for streaming.

And while both 2026 and 2027 already seem packed with dark, dystopian worlds for Ortega, Lily May B may still be the haunting cinematic chaos fans are most curious to witness unfold.

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Are you excited to see Jenna Ortega step into Leos Carax’s surreal cinematic universe? Let us know in the comments.