Cannes 2013: Sofia Coppola’s ‘Bling Ring’ to open Un Certain Regard

“The Bling Ring,” Sofia Coppola’s tale of good girls gone bad in Southern California, is heading to Cannes — but not as part of the main competition.

The fact-based drama will instead premiere in Un Certain Regard, where it will open the section on Thursday, May 16. Festival organizers made the announcement via Twitter on Wednesday evening in Paris, ahead of the full-slate announcement Thursday morning.

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Though Un Certain Regard is prestigious, it does not hold the luster of the 20-movie main competition section. Coppola’s last Cannes film, 2006’s “Marie Antoinette,” played in competition on the Croisette, where it was one of the more polarizing films in recent memory.

While Un Certain Regard is, like most Cannes sections, highly international, U.S. films have opened the section before. Gus Van Sant’s “Restless” kicked off Un Certain Regard two years ago, drawing a divided response.

“Bling Ring,” starring Emma Watson, tells of the real-life teenagers who broke into celebrities homes several years ago. They made off with a number of high-ticket items, including clothing from Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan’s artwork. A number of trials followed. The movie hits U.S. theaters June 14 from upstart distributor A24.

Coppola has had a mixed record since her breakout sophomore effort, “Lost in Translation,” won her a screenplay Oscar a decade ago. In 2010 she released the Elle Fanning-Stephen Dorff drama, “Somewhere.” The film won a top prize at the Venice Film Festival but drew a mixed critical response when it hit theaters.

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