Apple TV’s space-race drama Star City, Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd’s Half Man, and AMC+/Shudder supernatural horror The Terror: The Devil In Silver are among the prestige drama titles that will premiere at the ninth edition of Canneseries, taking place from April 23-28 in France.
Star City, which launches on Apple TV on May 29, is an alternative history retelling of the space race explored from behind the Iron Curtain. It stars Rhys Ifans and Anna Maxwell Martin, and is made by Ben Nedivi, Matt Wolpert and Ronald D. Moore, creators of 2019 Apple TV series For All Mankind,
Half Man stars Gadd and Jamie Bell as two close friends whose relationship implodes when one appears at the other’s wedding. The narrative tracks their lives over three decades, exploring brotherhood, violence and the fragility of male relationships. It will start streaming on April 23 on HBO, and April 24 on the BBC.
It is created, written and executive produced by Gadd, and produced by Banijay UK outfit Mam Tor Productions in association with Thistledown Pictures. Banijay Rights handles international distribution outside of the BBC and HBO. Gadd will also receive the honorary Konbini Commitment award at the festival, and will take part in an in-conversation session.
Devil In Silver, the third instalment in anthology series The Terror, stars Judith Light and Dan Stevens. The latter plays a man wrongfully committed to a psychiatric hospital, where he must deal with other patients, doctors and even the devil himself. Ridley Scott is executive producer on the full series.
Competition
In addition, eight titles in the longform competition will include the world premiere of UK comedy Alice And Steve, starring Nicola Walker and Jermaine Clement, written and produced by Sex Education writer Sophie Goodhart for Disney+. The series follows the titular duo whose lifelong friendship is threatened when Steve starts dating Alice’s daughter. It is produced by the UK’s Clerkenwell Films, which previously made Gadd’s Baby Reindeer.
A strong selection of Scandinavian titles includes two Danish series: farm-set family succession drama Harvest, and Snake Killer about a Copenhagen drug squad battling a notorious crime family.
Also having its world premiere is Swedish series Summer Of 1985, about a group of teenagers who discover a mysterious drowning and inexplicable creature that puts their friendships and lives at stake. Finnish sports psychological thriller Guts, about a women’s national ski team, has its international debut.
Spanish filmmaker Isabel Coixet will preside over the longform competition jury alongside French writer-director-actor Simon Astier, UK composer Ruth Barrett, French actor Vincent Elbaz, US director Lesli Linka Glatter and French-Malian actor Mamadou Sidibe.
UK drama, French fiction
UK drama is particularly well-represented throughout the lineup, including by Sky crime series Prisoner. Filmed in Wales with a cast including Tahar Rahim, Izuka Hoyle, Eddie Marsan and Catherine McCormack. It is about a prison officer and a trained killer who become the target of a deadly manhunt.
Hugo Blick’s California Avenue, produced by the UK’s Drama Republic and starring Helena Bonham Carter, Bill Nighy, Erin Doherty and Tom Burke, will premiere out of competition. The six-part series is set in a secluded canal-side English caravan park, where the peace is disrupted by the arrival of a woman and her 11-year-old child looking for refuge. It will air on the BBC, with Mediawan handling international sales.
French titles making their world premieres include France Televisions’ adaptation of Stendhal’s novel The Red And The Black, starring Virginie Ledoyen, Camille Razat and Victor Belmondo; Disney+ prison-set comedy Surveillant! with Jean-Pascal Zadi and Audrey Lamy; Canal+ period drama Paris Police 1910; and TF1’s serial killer thriller Zodiaque.
Further honorary award recipients include US actor and Severance star Adam Scott, receiving the Icon award; and South Korean singer and actress Jisoo, accepting the Rising Star award.
Industry
The Canneseries Industry programme will include talks with Alien: Earth and Fargo’s Noah Hawley, Transatlantic and Unorthodox’s Anna Winger, a panel with Our Boys co-creators Hagai Levi and Tawfik Abu Wael, a look at why The White Lotus opted to shoot its next season in France, and industry discussions on vertical drama, brand content, and AI.
The 2026 edition will mark the last event for retiring festival managing director Benoit Louvet, who will be replaced by Laetitia Recayte, founder of French production company Lapinxa under the Federation Studios banner.
Canneseries 2026 longform competition
Alice And Steve (UK) Created by Sophie Goodhart
Guts (Fin-Slovenia) Created by Jemina Jokisalo
Harvest (Den) Created by Martin Zandvliet
I Always Sometimes (Sp) Created by Marta Bassols, Marta Loza
Many People Need To Die (Sp) Createdy by Victoria Martin
Snake Killer (Den) Created by Anders Olholm
Summer Of 1985 (Swe) Created by Bjorn Stein
The Red And The Black (Iran) Created by Ida Panahandeh
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