Ethan Coen's 'Honey Don't!' brings Cannes audience to its feet; earns 6.5-minute ovation at premiere
Ethan Coen 's new solo feature, ' Honey Don't! ,' brought the 78th Cannes Film Festival to a thunderous conclusion, earning a 6.5-minute standing ovation at its world premiere in the Midnight Screenings section. The dark comedy, starring Margaret Qualley , Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans , and Charlie Day, marks Coen's first feature as a solo director following last year's Drive-Away Dolls, and reunites him with both Qualley and co-writer Tricia Cooke.
A festive Cannes reception
Premiering at dawn, ‘Honey Don't!’ received a warm ovation from the Cannes crowd, culminating in a 6.5-minute standing ovation. Coen, being the droll wit that he is, joked to the crowd, "Fun finish to the festival, yah?" He went on to say, "It's short for a movie that began after midnight—very humane!" in a nod to the film's snappy 90-minute running time.
A star-studded cast and twisted plot
‘Honey Don't!’ revolves around Honey O'Donahue (Margaret Qualley), a private eye from a small town who gets sucked into a series of inexplicable deaths surrounding a mysterious church commanded by a smooth preacher, Chris Evans. The supporting cast includes Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Day, Billy Eichner, Lera Abova, and more, with a promise of offbeat humour and quirky character interactions that have long characterized Coen's films.
Qualley, in regard to her character, characterized Honey as "smooth" and "skillful," easily slipping out of and into situations. "I had to tone down my inherent Scooby-Doo-ness to be a version of myself more suave and sinister," she explained to i-D. "I remember my early twenties when sleuthing was quite rampant on Instagram with me. It's a combination of skill, art, and instinct".
A Coen-Cooke collaboration
The script for ‘Honey Don't!’ was written by Ethan Coen and his wife, Tricia Cooke, as part of a creative collaboration started with Drive-Away Dolls. Cooke, a veteran collaborator on Coen brothers films, lends her own cutting wit to the screenplay. The film is made by Coen, Cooke, Robert Graf, and Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner.
Release plans and expectations
Focus Features will open ‘Honey Don't!’ in theaters across the United States on August 22, 2025, with global distribution by Universal Pictures International. The feature is anticipated to be rated R, consistent with the tone of recent Coen efforts.
With its mix of offbeat humour, outstanding cast, and director at the peak of his powers, ‘Honey Don't!’ is ready to be a standout in a crowded 2025 release schedule.
A festive Cannes reception
Premiering at dawn, ‘Honey Don't!’ received a warm ovation from the Cannes crowd, culminating in a 6.5-minute standing ovation. Coen, being the droll wit that he is, joked to the crowd, "Fun finish to the festival, yah?" He went on to say, "It's short for a movie that began after midnight—very humane!" in a nod to the film's snappy 90-minute running time.
A star-studded cast and twisted plot
‘Honey Don't!’ revolves around Honey O'Donahue (Margaret Qualley), a private eye from a small town who gets sucked into a series of inexplicable deaths surrounding a mysterious church commanded by a smooth preacher, Chris Evans. The supporting cast includes Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Day, Billy Eichner, Lera Abova, and more, with a promise of offbeat humour and quirky character interactions that have long characterized Coen's films.
Qualley, in regard to her character, characterized Honey as "smooth" and "skillful," easily slipping out of and into situations. "I had to tone down my inherent Scooby-Doo-ness to be a version of myself more suave and sinister," she explained to i-D. "I remember my early twenties when sleuthing was quite rampant on Instagram with me. It's a combination of skill, art, and instinct".
A Coen-Cooke collaboration
The script for ‘Honey Don't!’ was written by Ethan Coen and his wife, Tricia Cooke, as part of a creative collaboration started with Drive-Away Dolls. Cooke, a veteran collaborator on Coen brothers films, lends her own cutting wit to the screenplay. The film is made by Coen, Cooke, Robert Graf, and Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner.
Release plans and expectations
Focus Features will open ‘Honey Don't!’ in theaters across the United States on August 22, 2025, with global distribution by Universal Pictures International. The feature is anticipated to be rated R, consistent with the tone of recent Coen efforts.
With its mix of offbeat humour, outstanding cast, and director at the peak of his powers, ‘Honey Don't!’ is ready to be a standout in a crowded 2025 release schedule.
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