Mubi Scoops Up North American Rights to Lukas Dhont’s ‘Coward’ at Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)

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All three outlets—Variety, Deadline, and The Hollywood Reporter—frame the acquisition positively, emphasizing Mubi's role in securing a highly anticipated film. However, Variety and Deadline focus more on the buzz surrounding the film,…

Elsa Keslassy· May 23, 2026 · 12:00 PM UTC ·3 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 39 views

Mubi Scoops Up North American Rights to Lukas Dhont’s ‘Coward’ at Cannes (EXCLUSIVE)

#film #cannes #mubi #lgbtq #drama

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

Mubi has acquired the North American rights to Lukas Dhont's film 'Coward' during the Cannes Film Festival. The film, which is a queer romantic drama set in WWI, received one of the longest standing ovations at the festival. This acquisition follows Mubi's previous purchase of Dhont's earlier works, including 'Close' and 'Girl.'

Key facts

▪Mubi secured North American rights to 'Coward' at Cannes.
▪The film received a lengthy standing ovation during its screening.
▪'Coward' is set during WWI and follows a soldier named Pierre and his relationship with Francis.

How this story was covered

4 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 5 hours. Coverage spans 2 points on the political spectrum — 2 lean left, 1 centre.

Lean left · 2Centre · 1

▪ Lukas Dhont’s Queer Military Drama ‘Coward’ Lands at Mubi Out of Cannes — TheWrap
▪ Mubi Takes Lukas Dhont’s ‘Coward’ for North America — The Hollywood Reporter
▪ Mubi Acquires Lukas Dhont’s ‘Coward’ For North America – Cannes — Deadline

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Variety files mainly under film tv. We currently carry 661 of its stories.

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Variety · Elsa Keslassy

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Original publisher	Variety
Canonical URL	https://variety.com/2026/film/news/coward-lukas-dhont-mubi-north-american-rights-1236755499/
Publication time	Sat, 23 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-05-23T12:07:26.436Z
Last seen	2026-05-23T12:07:26.436Z
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Excerpt method	First ~120 words (~800 chars) of extracted publisher body, fair-use limited.
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Publisher visit	Yes — open original
Substitutes article?	No — link-out required for full text

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Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.

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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

Home Film News May 23, 2026 5:00am PT Mubi Scoops Up North American Rights to Lukas Dhont’s ‘Coward’ at Cannes (EXCLUSIVE) By Elsa Keslassy Plus Icon Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent @elsakeslassy Latest Netflix Nears Deal on ‘La Bola Negra’ After Cannes Bidding War (EXCLUSIVE) 60 minutes ago ‘La Bola Negra,’ With Penélope Cruz, Sparks Multi-Studio Bidding War After Massive 16-Minute Standing Ovation in Cannes (EXCLUSIVE) 18 hours ago Cannes Directors’ Fortnight: Clio Barnard’s ‘I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning’ Wins People’s Choice Audience Award 2 days ago See All Courtesy of Aline Boyen - the Reunion Mubi has scooped up North American rights to Lukas Dhont’s “Coward” at the Cannes Film Festival, landing one of the buzzier titles in this year’s competition.

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