Cannes 2026: Peter Jackson receives Honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes

It all came full-circle at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival as Peter Jackson received an honorary Palme d’Or from longtime collaborator Elijah Wood, who famously played Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings.

Presenting the award during Cannes’ opening ceremony, Wood reflected on the moment he learned he had been cast in Jackson’s fantasy epic. “I sat down on the floor of my bedroom and knew my life had been divided into before and after,” he said, crediting Jackson with changing the course of his career.

Accepting the honour inside the Palais des Festivals, Jackson looked back on his unlikely rise from making low-budget films in New Zealand to helming one of cinema’s most ambitious franchises. He recalled arriving at Cannes in 1987 with his debut feature Bad Taste, saying the film’s reception at the market effectively launched his career.

Elijah Wood, left, and director Peter Jackson, recipient of the honorary Palme d’Or, pose for photographers during the opening ceremony of the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 12, 2026
| Photo Credit:
AP

The director also revealed how Cannes played a crucial role in shifting industry perception around The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring at a time when the trilogy was widely viewed as a risky gamble. During the turbulent AOL-Time Warner merger period, media speculation around the massive production had turned increasingly negative.

“We brought 20 minutes here in 2001,” Jackson recalled. “That gamble changed the perception of the film.” He added that the festival screening created anticipation around the project months before the film’s theatrical release.

The emotional ceremony ended with a lengthy standing ovation and a surprise musical performance of “Get Back,” which saw Jackson singing along from the audience.

The opening night also featured speeches from Jane Fonda and Gong Li, both emphasising cinema’s role in resistance, empathy and cultural connection. Jury president Park Chan-wook similarly urged audiences to argue passionately without turning disagreement into hostility.

This year’s Cannes arrives during a period of visible transition for the festival, with fewer major Hollywood studio premieres and a stronger focus on international auteurs, politically charged cinema and independent productions shaping the competition lineup.