The first star to arrive at the 77th Cannes Film Festival walked on four legs. Messi, the dog from the film “Anatomy of a Fall,” made a grand entrance on the Cannes red carpet on Tuesday before the opening ceremony. Photographers in tuxedos eagerly called out “Messi! Messi!” as the border collie paraded past them and ascended the stairs to the Palais des Festivals. There, Messi sat down and raised his front paws, mimicking a movie star waving to the crowd.
For around 20 minutes, Messi captivated Cannes with his playful antics on the carpet. His bark echoed down the Croisette, and the red carpet remained spotless.
This was a sort of homecoming for Messi. Justine Triet’s murder mystery “Anatomy of a Fall” premiered at Cannes last year and won the prestigious Palme d’Or. Messi, who plays Snoop in the film, also won the Palm Dog, a journalist-created prize for the festival’s best canine performer.
As “Anatomy of a Fall” progressed through awards season, Messi became Hollywood’s favorite new dog and a beloved figure in the Oscar campaign circuit. He attended both the academy luncheon for nominees and the Oscar ceremony, where “Anatomy of a Fall” won Best Original Screenplay.
Messi's return to Cannes isn’t just for an encore. The festival is filming daily one-minute videos of Messi for French television, which will be compiled into a TikTok video. On Tuesday, he was even seen carrying a camera stick in his teeth.
