Meryl Streep to receive honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival

Meryl Streep will receive an honorary Palme d’Or at the opening ceremony of the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 14 May, organisers said on Thursday.

Streep, who first won the best actress award at Cannes in 1989 for Fred Schepisi’s Evil Angels, said she was equally humbled and thrilled to be receiving the award.

“I am immeasurably honoured to receive the news of this prestigious award,” the Hollywood actor said.

“To win a prize at Cannes, for the international community of artists, has always represented the highest achievement in the art of filmmaking. To stand in the shadow of those who have previously been honoured is humbling and thrilling in equal part.

“I so look forward to coming to France to thank everyone in person this May!”

In a joint statement, Cannes festival heads Iris Knobloch and Thierry Frémaux said: “We all have something in us of Meryl Streep!”

“We all have something in us of Kramer vs Kramer, Sophie’s Choice, Out of Africa, The Bridges of Madison County, The Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia! Because she has spanned almost 50 years of cinema and embodied countless masterpieces, Meryl Streep is part of our collective imagination, our shared love of cinema.”

Past recipients of the award include Michael Douglas last year, as well as Jeanne Moreau, Marco Bellocchio, Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Jane Fonda, Agnès Varda, Forest Whitaker and Jodie Foster.

The festival will see several Hollywood legends come together. The closing ceremony will see George Lucas receive another honorary Palme d’Or, Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis and Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada will be screening within the competition, and George Miller‘s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Kevin Costner’s Western epic Horizon, an American Saga will be showing out of competition.

Actor, writer and director Greta Gerwig will preside over the jury.