Messi the canine involves Cannes for an encore

CANNES, France — The primary star to reach on the crimson carpet on the 77th Cannes Movie Pageant got here on 4 legs.

Messi, the canine from the movie “Anatomy of a Fall,” walked up and down the Cannes carpet on Tuesday forward of the opening ceremony. Strains of tuxedo-clad photographers known as out “Messi! Messi” whereas the border collie strolled previous and climbed the steps to the Palais des Festivals. There, he sat and held his entrance paws up within the air, like a film star waving to the gang.

For some 20 minutes, Messi had Cannes’ full consideration whereas frolicking on the carpet. His bark echoed down the Croisette. The crimson carpet went unsoiled.

For Messi, it was a type of return to the scene of the crime. Justine Triet’s homicide thriller “Anatomy of a Fall” final 12 months premiered in Cannes the place it went on to win the competition’s prime award, the Palme d’Or. Messi — Snoop within the movie — gained the Palme Canine, a journalist-created prize for the competition’s prime canine.

And as “Anatomy of a Fall,” by which the canine’s perspective holds sure keys to the whodunit, continued via awards season, Messi emerged as Hollywood’s favourite new pooch and a very cuddly Oscar marketing campaign prop. He attended each the academy luncheon of nominees and the Oscar ceremony. “Anatomy of a Fall” gained finest authentic screenplay.

Messi is not in Cannes only for an encore bow/bone. The competition is taking pictures each day one-minute movies of Messi for French tv that can be collected for a TikTok video. On Tuesday, he carried a digital camera stick in his tooth.