The Rolling Tape

The Cannes Film Festival, one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, is just a month away, running May 12–24. This past Thursday, Artistic Director Thierry Frémaux and President Iris Knobloch announced the official selections, including In Competition, Out of Competition, Un Certain Regard, and more. For those following awards season, Cannes has increasingly become an unofficial kickoff. As the Academy’s international membership has expanded in recent years, so has the awards impact of Cannes premieres.
On this episode, we’ll break down the Competition lineup, highlight every film playing In Competition, and share our early (and likely very wrong) predictions for the Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize.
It’s also a special episode for us—because for the first time, The Rolling Tape will be on the ground covering Cannes in full, with Editor-in-Chief Danny Jarabek and contributor Nandita Joshi reporting live.
Resources:
Cannes Lineup
What to Watch Before Cannes 2026
On this episode:
Danny Jarabek
Paul Rai
Ethan Dayton
Owen Wilczek
Jacob Diedenhofer
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Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
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Credits:
Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
Artwork: Danny Jarabek
Editor: Danny Jarabek
Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

WAHOO!!! We’re off to the outer galaxy, not alongside the Artemis II astronauts but rather with two Italian plumbers in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and written by Matthew Fogel, it is the sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie from 2023, which we previously reviewed on the podcast in Episode 034.
Mario, Luigi, and their friends adventure into outer space, where they meet Princess Rosalina and face off against Bowser and his son, Bowser Jr. Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, and Keegan-Michael Key reprise their roles, with Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, Glen Powell, and Brie Larson joining the voice cast. The film is currently rotten at 43% on Rotten Tomatoes with an 89% Popcornmeter audience score.
In addition to discussing the film, which has already grossed over $500 million at the global box office, we’ll talk about Illumination as an animation studio, and some of our favorite video game adaptations.
To watch this episode on video with our pre-episode exclusive conversation on the following, subscribe on Patreon:
Anne Hathaway on Letterboxd
Brad Bird and Ray Gunn
Alamo Drafthouse and MUBI Crises
On this episode:
Danny Jarabek
Joshua Mbonu
Paul Rai
Support the show
Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon
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Have questions? Email [email protected]
Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
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Credits:
Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
Artwork: Danny Jarabek
Editor: Danny Jarabek
Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

With the release of A24's The Drama, we thought it would be a great time to take a moment to talk about A24 as a studio. When it comes to independent films and Oscar-winning successes, no indie film studio has exploded in popularity and name recognition to the same degree as A24, winning Best Picture twice (Moonlight and Everything Everywhere All at Once) in its 14-year existence.
For some, A24 is a brand, it's an aesthetic, it's a way of life. And for others, it's an arbiter of quality, an immediate tastemaker of film culture and the beacon of emerging, exciting artists. The boutique indie studio was inspired by the idea of three industry film veterans, Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges, who wanted to be the home for more artistically innovative films. 
After 200+ films and a vault of Oscars, we're going to talk about the studio's award successes, why they work and sometimes don't work, what they represent in the film's space, why their merchandise is so expensive, and what their future is going forward.
On this episode:
Paul Rai
Danny Jarabek
Jacob Diedenhofer
Support the show
Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon
Listen Here:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
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Have questions? Email [email protected]
Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
Social Platforms on Linktree
Credits:
Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
Artwork: Danny Jarabek
Editor: Danny Jarabek
Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

With our TV host at The Rolling Remote, Jake Fittipaldi, we are trying something a little bit new here called "channel surfing" as we peruse through what we're collectively watching across the TV landscape. 
There’s just way too much TV right now for us to cover everything in full episodes, so this is our way of opening things up a bit. Instead of one show, we’re bouncing around. Talking about what we’ve actually been watching, what we think is worth your time, and what maybe isn’t. Think of this as recommendations, but also a temperature check on TV right now of what's been hitting, what's not, and then just taking a look at what is gonna stick throughout the rest of the year and into the awards season. 
Jake is joined by our Awards Editor, Paul Rai, and our host at The Rolling Tape, Danny Jarabek, two voices we typically here on the film side of our content, to hear about what they recommend in TV.
On this episode:
Jake Fittipaldi
Danny Jarabek
Paul Rai
Support the show
Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon
Listen Here:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
All Listening Platforms
Have questions? Email [email protected]
Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
Social Platforms on Linktree
Credits:
Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
Artwork: Danny Jarabek
Editor: Danny Jarabek
Assistant Producer: Evan Miller

Save the date because it’s the event of the year, celebrating the marriage of Charlie Thompson and Emma Harwood in The Drama written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli. 
A24’s totally romantic and completely comedic rom-com, The Drama, which premiered on March 17, 2026 at DGA Theater Complex in Los Angeles, was released in the United States by A24 on April 3, 2026. The film stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as an engaged couple who begin to learn secrets about one another in the lead-up to their wedding. It also stars Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie and Hailey Gates.
We also discuss the careers of the film’s honorary couple, Robert Pattinson and Zendaya, as well as discuss what makes a marketing campaign go viral.
To watch this episode on video with our pre-episode exclusive conversation on the following, subscribe on Patreon:
Wagner Moura Joins Flesh of the Gods with Kristen Stewart
Lin-Manuel Miranda directing Octet
First Look at Bong Joon Ho's animated feature Ally
On this episode:
Danny Jarabek
Adam Patla
Bobbi Miller
Tate Fowler
Cameron Ritter
Support the show
Subscribe for Early Access and Video:
The Rolling Tape Patreon
Listen Here:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
All Listening Platforms
Have questions? Email [email protected]
Podcast Website Link
Website & Publications: www.therollingtape.com
Social Platforms on Linktree
Credits:
Theme music: Eugene Rocco Utley & Karl Vincent
Artwork: Danny Jarabek
Editor: Danny Jarabek
Assistant Producer: Evan Miller